Dragons and High School
by starwarswiz
Summary: Hiccup was always put aside and had high and mighty dreams that would never come true. But one day a mysterious boy appears and so does a dragon. Could this be his key to getting the girl and finally being accepted for who he is or will it all come crashing down on him?
1. Chapter 1

The sun was low in the sky and I flew with as much freedom as I wanted. I stretched my wings and let the sun reflect off of my black scales as I ascended higher and higher. I closed my eyes to feel the warmth of the sun on my back and glided in absolute joy. I hoped that this flight would never end.

I then felt a piece of paper hit the side of my head and I snapped back to reality. I look for where the paper came from and I see that it was Snotlout and his group of misfits who just love to give me hell over everything. I rolled his eyes and attempted to revert my attention back to the board about some boring integral or derivative or something of the sort. I never paid attention in class as I was at least five years ahead of everyone else. I never skipped a grade because my father never paid neigh attention to do something like that.

I lazily looked around the room to find something more interesting than a repetitive lesson in math. I ultimately fell upon the one I've been pining after for years, Astrid. She actually was watching me so my gaze was quickly averted to the notebook on my desk. It was covered in the images of the dragon I had been having dreams about for over a year. Every child was given a dragon at a certain age and everyone else in school had theirs. In fact the choosing had come down to a science, every kid was put in a room full of eggs of every sort.

Well all except one, a Night Fury. Science never managed to capture one's for choosing and they remained a mystery to the world. I had always wanted to see one but that was irrelevant. The choosing was when you were put in a room of dragon eggs and one would hatch when their rider, the one linked to their souls, chose the egg. When I went in not a single egg hatched. Not the Gronkle, or Nadder, not even the most rarest one a Changewing. I felt embarrassed and the doctors and scientist were baffled at how it didn't work. In three centuries of the science this case had never happened and my father couldn't have been more disappointed.

My mother managed to placate my father but after that day he grew more distant as the days and weeks passed. It was alright for a few years but when I hit high school it only got worse. My mother had a Stormcutter named Cloudjumper who seemed like a wise owl but was always kind to him. My mother would always take me on flights to let me feel the joy of flying. Usually those flights would result in me crying and my mother hiding me away from my father's wrath but that all changed three years ago. My mother and Cloudjumper simply disappeared one day without any warning or explanation and it all fell apart after that.

My father grew angry and took it out on me when he'd bother to acknowledge my existence and all of my so called friends abandoned me and I was labeled the loser with no mother or dragon to help me. I avoided everyone and became wrapped in learning and soared ahead of everyone which got me more ridicule and mockery. I hoped that one day I could just fly and leave this whole place behind. The bell shook me out of his thoughts, I quickly grabbed my things and darted out of the room and too my locker. I only managed to put one of my books away before I was shoved into the locker with all of my things being shoved out of my hands one onto the floor. My entire body found itself inside the locker with the door being shut behind me.

"Better watch out, dipshit." Snotlout said.

I sighed and simply stayed quiet knowing any retaliation meant things far worse later on. The bell rang again for the next period and I sighed again as I would miss it for the third day in a row as this was the third day in a row I was shoved into his locker. I attempted to call for help but there was no one there to help him so I sighed again and slumped against the back wall of my locker. But suddenly I heard the gears in his locker turn and the door fly open. I spilled out onto the floor and looked around for my savior and found a boy standing in front of me looking down.

He had jet black hair and piercing green eyes that looked into his very soul. He was tall and very well built with lean muscles framing his body but his eyes was the biggest thing. The eyes drew me in like the meant something profound but I couldn't put the words on it. I slowly stood up not breaking eye contact and he simply stared and then I formed a response.

"Thanks." I said.

The boy only nodded and then retreated down the hall without saying a word or looking back. I snapped back and quickly grabbed my things for class and rushed off to the room. I burst in with the whole class staring me down and I quickly made my way to my seat.

"So nice of you to join us, Mr. Haddock." the teacher said.

I avoided eye contact but I noticed Snotlout obviously upset about how I escaped my locker prison with too much ease. One thing did catch my eye though. The boy who let me out of my locker was looking at me with a blank expression. How he had managed to get me out of my locker and back to class so fast and without being noticed was inconceivable. I looked back up to the teacher who he knew all too well. Gobber was a long family friend who knew why I was late or didn't show up and never punished me because of it. He was currently getting something from his desk but failed and then turned his attention back to the class.

"Alright today we will begin dragon training with your dragons in the arena so off you go."

The class cheered and stormed out of the doors while he remained behind and waited on Gobber to leave. I noticed the mysterious boy linger at the door before leaving himself and I sighed again. It was starting to become a reoccurring theme with me.

"You don't want to run ahead with the others?" Gobber asked.

"No, they'll all be getting their dragons and flying in while I'll just be walking." I said.

"I know this won't be fun for you but he have to be there if you intend to graduate. Go on ahead and find a seat and just watch I'll try to keep you on the down low."

I left the room and was thankful for what Gobber always tried to do for him but it wasn't enough. I wanted to be apart of it all but I couldn't, never and the rest of the world would leave me behind. The arena was a huge complex just outside the main building that all schools had that was built by the state because schools could not afford such huge complexes by themselves. It was a simple flat ground with raisable obstacles and a full set of seats surrounding the whole place for competitions.

I took a seat near the back in the far corner after the students began to fly in on their various dragons and talking excitedly about the new class. Gobber entered a few minutes later with a tablet and walked up to me and handed me it. I looked up with bewilderment and Gobber smiled and whispered something to me.

"Don't make it easy." he said.

He walked to the class and began rambling about how important these next few months would be. I looked at the tablet and saw that it was linked to the entire stadium and all the obstacles that could be activated and I had a small smile on my face. With this I could still be apart of things to a small degree. However my peace was interrupted by that same boy sitting down next to me and looking out at the field and the people below him.

"What are you doing?" I hissed.

"Just about to watch the show." he said.

His voice was somewhat high but had a deep undertone to it and I looked at him and he looked back and gave a small smile.

"Don't you have a dragon?"

"No, never had one. Where I grew up that wasn't a thing." he said.

"It's a thing everywhere. You don't have a choice."

"Well I did and I chose not to have one." he growled.

I remained silent after that and turned my attention back to the field and the were beginning their first lessons and Gobber spoke up.

"Now first is the obstacle course which Hiccup will command and will throw whatever he wants at each of you. How hard it is, is up to him."

The class looked at me and he looked down avoiding their gaze and Gobber waved the class to the side.

"First up is Fishlegs."

Fishlegs had a Gronkle which was slow but tough and could take a lot of hits. I decided to throw things that would require speed rather than play to his strengths I would go for weaknesses. I threw arrows and lighting generators at him, making him dodge and think quickly and he did better than what I expected. He was done soon and while I had a fun time I could tell Fishlegs was out of breath.

"Next is Snotlout."

I wanted this, Snotlout flew a Monstrous Nightmare which was all about firepower. I intended to beat the shit out of him in the ring and that is exactly what I did. He didn't pull all the stops out but Snotlout didn't make it out without a few bruises and burns. He smiled and he heard the boy next to him chuckle slightly while Snotlout was beaten around. That made him smile even more and I hoped it wouldn't come back to bite me. A few others went through and I threw some easy exercises at them and then she came around. Astrid was someone who took these things seriously and he did not want to appear partial. So I tried my best to go easy but still make it hard and in the end it seemed as if I had succeeded but she revealed nothing with her blank face.

Gobber dismissed them after that to relax and head home after a hard day of work. Classes would soon turn into just dragon training after the final exams in the other classes in a few weeks. But I didn't worry because it meant less time spent at school with those who wished me harm. The boy got my attention and I realized something important and I stopped the boy before he left.

"Wait, what's your name?" I yelled.

"Damian Fury, if you don't like it then don't bother."

"No its cool and thanks for today."

"Anytime, Hiccup."

He ran off before I could stop him to ask how he knew my name despite just meeting that day and that I had never meet him before in my life. I shrugged and ran and grabbed his things and began to walk home while that others took off and flew home. I watched in envy and then dread began to pool at the fact that my father might be home and yell at me for some unknown reason. I pushed it aside and strode up to the door and walked in. The first thing I noticed was the lack of my father in an angry rampage which threw me off.

I set my backpack down and slowly walked to my room being extra quiet when walking past my father's office. His door was slightly open and I could hear him working on his laptop probably about some new case he got. By the way he is the police chief which explains his aggressive nature. He loved to hit people and this job bought into that craving.

"Hiccup, come here." he said.

I froze as I was just passed his door and fear began to seep into my bones as why he wanted me. I turned around and walked into his office and he was sitting there with his laptop closed and his hands balled together in front of his face. He looked sad if you could call it that but he was good at masking his true emotions until he needed to. I sat down slowly and he dropped his hands down onto his desk.

"There is something that needs attention. There have been reports of a wild dragon terrorizing the out edges near the forests and we plan to smoke it out. I will be gone for the next few weeks as we work our way around the city, and you are to be kept under watch by Gobber. I hope nothing major happens, especially with dragon training beginning."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked.

"If we manage to capture this beast I mean to make it my last case and then retire. I will wait for your graduation and then I plan to move from Berk."

"What, well where will I go then?"

"I hope you plan to run off to college and set up a good life for yourself. Your mother would want that and I do not plan to heed you in that regard. Now go and run off and do whatever it is you do, I will take Skullcrusher and leave this evening and hope to be back."

"But if you plan to retire, who will deal with the Outcasts that you've been chasing for years?"

"I've given up that fight for the new chief, this Dagur will take over and continue the war I started. Now go."

I took that and left quickly but thought over what he said. He was retiring if he was successful in finding whatever was terrorizing the city, most likely a wild dragon. I had never heard of one eluding police, usually they always caught it with relative ease. I pushed it away and opened the door to my room which was very plain with a simple bed, desk, and window. The walls were a pale green, my favorite color, and my desk had a laptop and a light for reading or drawing.

I sat down at his desk and checked my computer which had zero messages or emails so I shut the lid and looked outside. I loved walking through the woods that lined the edge of my neighborhood and I grabbed his jacket for one more walk before winter was in full swing. I didn't bother telling my dad and simply shut the front door and began walking towards the woods. It was late fall so many of the trees were bare but I loved it nonetheless and entered the nearest trail to the houses.

It was quiet with a few gusts of wind rustling the trees and making a few leaves fall but I loved the quiet. It was a place I could retreat to where no one would bother me or put me down. It was a place I could think and truly feel free. Only this time it felt different because I felt like I was being watched but whenever I looked around I saw nothing but the forest. I picked up the pace slightly and dove deeper and deeper into the woods as the sun was getting close to setting. I intended to be back before the sun went down so I couldn't be out much longer or I'd be stuck in the woods at night with no light.

I heard the noise again and began to speed walk making my way back towards the exit of the forest not wanting to be the victim of a crime. Just as I saw the exit I was stopped and knocked to the ground by a black shadow and came face to face with a dragon. It didn't move and I was terrified to say the least and I assumed this was the one that my dad was after. His eyes are what got my attention as they looked just like that kid, Damian's. I could hear a low growl but I just lay there and then slowly reached my hand up and he watched me but didn't shy away.

Usually wild dragons attacked you and killed you and trained dragons only let those whose riders let touch them. My hand reached his nose and he had closed his eyes and began to purr and I felt something change inside of me. It felt like I had finally found that one thing I had been searching for my entire life. As quickly as he appeared he disappeared back into the woods and I sat there and looked at my hand in light of what just happened. Maybe this was the dragon I had all along and maybe it was even the elusive Night Fury.

 **So this is my modern day version of a Hiccup and Astrid story with some interesting twists and** **turns. I hope you enjoy this first chapter and tell me what you think. Enjoy and review. -starwarswiz**


	2. Chapter 2

The day started like any other with my alarm waking me up at about 6:30 in the morning and I slowly rose out of bed. The sun wasn't up and stars still shined in the sky and I knew it would be a rather col day which would make dragon training all that worse. I trudged into the bathroom and took a nice soothing shower staying under that hot water for a few minutes just to clear my head. I eventually shut it off and picked something warm for the day and dragged myself downstairs for a short dinner and then a long walk to school through the cold morning air.

I would have only a few weeks of this manageable weather before the snow came in and would make walking virtually impossible and it would only sour my mood. I didn't hear my father so he must have already left for his great ending mission that would put him up as a hero of the town and then he would retire the hero. Then my dad would shove me out of the house and out of his life for good which didn't bother me in the slightest. I heard the bus drive by and I would never take that retched thing again, not after the embarrassment of years passed.

I finished and then left the house with a sigh and began the long walk to school. By this point the sun was just beginning to peak above the horizon and I knew that these beautiful mornings wouldn't last forever. I didn't know for how long but I turned slightly to my right and saws someone walking just behind me. I looked so quickly I couldn't tell who it was but I didn't dare look back again.

"Hiccup." the person said.

This time I turned and found myself face to face with Astrid of all people. She stood there in a winter coat with a blue Deadly Nadder following her and that made me wonder how on earth she managed to sneak up on me.

"Yes, Astrid." I squeaked.

"Why did you go easy on me?" she drilled.

That made me flinch as I had hoped to make it not so easily obvious that I made it easy. Now That she knew I was in deep danger because she hated people helping her or making things easier of ruer just because she was her.

"What do you mean?" I said weakly.

"Don't play dumb. I saw what you did to Snotlout and that was nowhere close to what you threw at me."

"Well Snotlout deserved what I gave him." I said quietly.

She heard me, "That still isn't an excuse. Next time don't be partial, I don't need a handicap."

"That's not why I did it." I whispered.

Luckily she didn't hear me that time and had mounted her dragon and flew off. I breathed a sigh of relief and started walking again only to be stopped again by someone falling in stride with me. It was Damian and for some reason he wanted to commit social suicide at a new school by being seen with me for some reason. But then I realized he knew my name without ever asking it and I wanted to know why.

"How did you know?" I asked.

"Know what?"

"My name."

"It wasn't that hard, Gobber said it out loud yesterday in front of the whole class."

"Oh."

We walked in silence for a while and it was extremely uncomfortable for me and if it was for him he did let on. I wanted to talk to him an understand why he was staying near me but I was terrified of what he would say. I simply swallowed my fear.

"Why are you here, with me?" I asked.

"Uh, to go to school."

"Np why do insist on being near me and talk to me."

"Because your a normal human being and I see your a much better person than those other jerks. I don't hold my opinions based upon others, I make them myself." he stated.

That shocked me slightly that he would do such a thing but it somehow seemed alright. It made me feel slightly better that he may actually make a friend for once in his life instead of being seen as a freak. The school loomed ahead and we parted ways and luckily I managed to avoid Snotlout or any of his friends and get the first period without incident.

It was boring old physics which I had finished two years ago and had moved on to something far more interesting and worthy of his time. The teacher knew I was well ahead and never made me pay attention in class so I could day dream away and it was always the same. I was always a black dragon flying over a sunset sky in the far north but I could never figure out what it meant. The same body structure and everything always appeared and I attributed to what could have been if I had managed to actually pick a dragon.

The class passed by quickly and he was off again hoping to avoid all people in the hallway but he knew he wouldn't be that lucky as one of Snotlout friends cornered him. His name was Connor and he had to be twice the size of Snotlout and twice as stupid. He had me pinned against a wall and was shouting things that I didn't bother to listen to. He hit me once or twice, maybe five times I couldn't really tell as things began to fade in and out of focus.

He yelled again and then hit me once again and for a brief moment I saw nothing but black and then color came back but it was very fuzzy. I felt the group beneath me and Connor was somewhere in the blur of color swinging at someone else. I watch lazily while one of his friends drew something form his pocket and I tried to cry out but no sound was made. His form then disappeared and everything went to black.

I woke up on a bed and the first thing I noticed was my head hurt like no other. There were two people in the room and they slowly came into focus. One was the school nurse and the other was Astrid. Weird I didn't see her at all and suddenly she was here like she actually cared about me which was nothing more than a dream of mine.

"What…What happened?" I croaked.

"Connor and his lackies cornered you and began to wail on you. Damian was the one who pulled Connor off of you I only stopped his friends from teaming up on him."

Damian stood brooding in the doorway with his back turned to me but I was thankful that he came when he did. It would have ended far worse if he hadn't shown up and believe me I speak from experience. I felt several bandages on my head and a few on my arms and I could only imagine what my father would've done if he was home but I didn't have to worry about that.

I nodded and the nursed left and Astrid stayed and helped me sit up and get some water.

"Why are you here? Don't get me wrong I thank you for help but why are you still here?" I asked.

"Gobber really gave it to us when he found out what happened and I wished for an exercise from you. When he has the controls I fear for my life."

"Thanks, that makes me feel that much better."

We both laughed but I was cut short by a huge pain in my side and winced. I lifted my shirt to see a huge black and blue bruise on my side running from my stomach half way up my ribs. I heard Astrid gasp and then I realized she was seeing me and I quickly dropped my shirt. While I never participated in sports or went after huge muscles didn't mean I couldn't keep in shape. My face grew warm and was probably bright red and I looked over at her and she was suppressing a smile with her hand and that made me laugh internally and grow even more embarrassed.

"Don't laugh." I pleaded.

"Sorry, it just didn't realize, you need to be more aware of your surroundings."

"Alright, now help me get to the door and back to my locker. I'm heading home."

She obliged and slowly but surely we made it to the door and I tapped on Damian's shoulder and he turned with a blank expression. Astrid nodded and he helped me so she could run and get home before her parents began to worry.

"Hiccup I know your dad is away so if you ever wanted a dinner your welcome at my house." she said.

She ran off before I could make a response and I was utterly confused by her sudden attitude towards me and where on earth it came from. Damian remained silent the whole walk from the nurse's office to his locker and by then he was in blinding pain and he needed a rest and luckily his locker was the break he needed. Damian didn't leave though and that bothered me slightly as he didn't say anything but stand there and stare at me which unnerved me to no end. Once I had my backpack I finally had had enough of his staring and silence.

"Ok what is your deal? Why do you keep staring at me?"

He seemed a little surprised at my forwardness but I didn't budge as he had been holding up this act for a while now and people in general make me uncomfortable he was just upping it the nth degree.

"Its better that you not know the whole truth but I can tell you this. Its all for your protection and well being."

He then turned and left and that left me even more confused than before. I looked up to try and run after him but he was gone as if he had vanished. This guy was creepy, I mean act all friendly, save me from getting pummeled, staying silent, and then giving a riddle as an explanation. I was bothered to say the least and maybe others would know more about him. It seemed as if Astrid knew more than she was letting on so I thought I might take her up on her dinner offer.

I shrugged and began the walk back home which was very painful having to walk. It took me almost three times longer than usual to reach home and I barely made it in the door before I dropped to my knees and hugged my bruised side. The house was quiet and was the same way as I had left it this morning which meant that dad was gone for a while and that certainly helped. I threw my backpack onto the table and limped over the couch where I collapsed and pulled out my phone. I pulled up Astrid's number which she had no idea I had and pressed call.

It rang for a while and I sat there letting my eyes roam in hopes that she would pick up. Finally she did but there was a pause for a few seconds before someone who was definitely not Astrid answered.

"Hello?"

"Um, is Astrid there?" I asked.

"Who might be calling?"

"Hiccup."

"Hiccup, its good to hear from you. Astrid told us what happened and I hope your feeling alright, I'm her mother by the way. I use to be very close friends with your mother before she left."

"Right, anyway I was wondering if I could take up Astrid's offer for dinner because I'm by myself and not in the best condition to be providing for myself tonight."

"Oh, of coarse dear. I completely understand we'll be right over."

"Wait what, I thought I would be going over there."

"Did your mother teach you nothing. After what you went through you are in no condition to be traveling anywhere and you need a mother's touch to fix you up. We'll be over in about an hour and don't worry I know where you are."

She hung up and I was a little overwhelmed to say the least. She was apparently a good friend of my mother's and when she talked about her it hurt a little but it was quickly taken away but I surprise and fear of what would transpire. They were coming here and with how I felt I was in no condition to really clean up or do anything. I simply put the phone down and moved to unlock the front door and turn on some lights so they knew I was at least alive.

I had only met the Hoffersons once when I was nine and I hardly remembered it as everyone was focused on Astrid and all the tricks she had learned while flying Stormfly and was showing off. I hope that this time things went differently. I limped back to the couch and decided to catch a little sleep as the pain had taken a number on me and I needed to recover. It seemed as if I had barely shut my eyes when the doorbell rang and scared the living daylights out of me.

I stumbled to the door and only found Astrid and her mother who looked astoundingly similar to one another. Astrid's mother was blond and had the blue eyes just like her but had the signs of age on her face. It was still good to have company because usually on nights like this I would simply eat alone and then go to sleep having done nothing the entire night. She had a few things that she brought with her and I let her in and she moved them to the table and I watched as they both went to work setting the table for an actual dinner.

The smell it was giving was amazing and I couldn't remember the last time I had and actual family dinner. I sat down and soon the food moved around quickly and I was quickly devouring the food and it was silent for a while and soon my plate was empty and my stomach was full.

"Now Hiccup I like your liking to my food. When was the last time you had a family dinner?" Astrid's mother asked.

"Not since my mother disappeared. Dad grew distant and I just accepted it. Now while the food was good I think its time I went to sleep tomorrows Friday and that means the first dragon race." I said.

"Yeah I'm really excited and totally ready to beat everyone down. Now don't go easy on me Hiccup or I swear I will bend your arm backwards." Astrid warned.

"Astrid! That is no way to talk to a host. Now Hiccup what dragon will you be racing with?"

"Actually I don't have one, and I never did."

"Oh."

I looked down and then proceeded to move my plate the kitchen and began to clear the table but Astrid's mother shooed me away and began to take over.

"Astrid start to work on Hiccup and get his cuts all cleaned up."

I ended up in my bathroom with my shirt off and Astrid painfully applying some sore of paste to the huge bruise on my side. Each touch came with a wince and a shooting pain up my side. She pressed on a part near the center of my chest and that made me hiss.

"Sorry." she said.

"Its alright. I knew it was going to hurt." I strained out.

She began again and while it hurt I felt extremely uncomfortable and awkward as my long time crush was currently helping my injuries while I was shirtless. I felt my face feel heated the whole time but luckily the pain hid the blush which I was very thankful for. She motioned that she was done and I grabbed the wrap for her and she began to wrap my side and then once she was done I let my shirt fall. She then checked each one of the scratches and she traced each one slowly and it sent chills down my spine.

"I wanted to thank you for earlier." I said.

"It was nothing." she said.

"Why did you all of a sudden start to help me?" I asked.

"Something my mom told me the other day. She was right, you are definitely worth it."

"Then tell me this. Why does Damian care so much, he just started yesterday."

She froze and stopped and then started working on my scratches again.

"I actually can't tell you because he told me not to."

"C'mon you owe me this."

"Fine. He knows you and has for years. He didn't get into it very much but he told me that he was going to be there and help you find the one thing you want."

"A dragon."

"What?"

"A dragon is what I always wanted. If he's going to help me that is all I could ask for."

"Well I'm glad that makes you happy."

She put the cleansing stuff away and then left the bathroom and I followed. Her mother had packed up the dishes and was putting on her clothes to o brave the col weather again.

"Now Astrid will be by to check on those bruises of yours."

"Thanks you really don't need to do all of this."

"Nonsense its what your mother would expect and you deserve someone to look after you. I'll be in the car Astrid, don't take long."

She left and shut the door behind her and Astrid got her coat and shoes on and before she was out the door she turned again and looked at me. She gave me a light hug so she didn't hurt me.

"Get better Hiccup." she said.

She then did something that nearly made me faint on the spot, she kissed my cheek. While I stood there dumbfounded she caught up to her mom and they both took off. I almost shut the door but a shadow caught my eye. A huge black shape was approaching the house and I stood there out of fear and my mind would not respond enough to do anything. Eyes soon appeared out of the darkness and I realized it was the same green eyes as yesterday.

"Hey what are you doing, do you want something?" I said.

The dragon approached slowly and I reached out my hand and he bounded towards it and purred into my hand. I smiled and moved back into the house and moved to shut the door but I heard the dragon whine and I turned back around. He looked at me with his eyes and I couldn't say no. I ran back in and moved the table and then let him in the house and he walked in slowly.

I now got a good look at why he was here, his back left wing was gone. It looked like it was just recently torn off. I moved to look at it and when I touched it he whined in pain and I retreacted my hand and looked back at him. I sighed and made a quick decision.

"Alright you can stay here but don't make a mess."

He curled up and layer down and watched me and I went up to my room and discovered him whining at the door and I laughed. I went up to him and rubbed his head.

"You stay I'll be just inside the door and don't break anything. My father would kill me if you did."

He seemed satisfied with that option and proceeded to fall asleep and I layer down myself and sleep quickly took me after the kind of day I had.

 **Ok so here is chapter two after some good reviews and if you keep** **those coming I may be inclined to write more. Now with the problems I discovered in last chapter I apologize because I thought I had caught them all but apparently I didn't. So I hope I can refrain in the future its just when I get writing I sometimes don't realize I wrote something wrong until someone catches it. So keep the reviews coming, constructive criticism is always a good thing. Enjoy and review. -starwarswiz**


	3. Chapter 3

Friday was here and I was not looking forward to it what so ever. The day was cold with some snow actually making an appearance and that made waking up worse. The dragon I let in was gone and that made me think I was hallucinating the whole thing after the painkillers I had taken. I got up and the medicine had worn off as huge stabs of pain shot up my side and I quickly took a few more just to get ready. I had always had painkillers as this was not the first time I had gotten beaten up, it was just the first time someone had defended me.

The warm shower I took felt good on my side although I couldn't stay forever and I got out and dressed quickly and ate a small breakfast and then dawned my heavy coat to brave the snow of the outside. I hadn't even opened the door when someone knocked on it and when I opened it I found Astrid waiting on the the front step with Damian brooding behind her. He was looking around and was making and effort not to make eye contact with me. Which was weird but what was weirder was Astrid was without her dragon.

"What are you two doing here?" I asked.

"We came to walk with you to school." she said.

"Why would you when you have a dragon that could take you there in a few minutes?"

"Would you stop asking questions and come on. Its freezing outside." she barked.

I shrugged and shut the door behind me and we all began the long walk to school. It was weird to say the least as I never had anyone else walk with me and never expected anyone to join me. Damian was sneaking glances at me every now and then and he acted as if I couldn't tell but I could. Astrid was talking animately about the dragon race today and how she intended not only to enter but to win. She was talking about the professional race that was to occur tonight and not the test they faced in class today.

Gobber always pushed to learn quickly so these early tests were going to be a reoccurring thing. Well at least there would be very little time in between each test. The day was cold and there were a few flakes falling and the streets were empty as it was still just after seven in the morning and most of the town still had to wake up for the day. It took a lot of retrain not to tell them about the dragon experience I had last night and wondered what they thought of it. I was afraid of what Astrid might say so I decided to ask Damian later.

We came close to the school after nearly fifteen minutes of walking and Astrid said she would talk later and ran off. Damian stayed with him though and acted as a silent bodyguard as he gave glares to any bullies. I silently wanted to thank Damian for what he was doing and it made my morning all that easier. It was probably the easiest morning I had ever had in high school. I spotted Astrid once before first period and waved and she smiled back but my gaze dropped when her friend Ruffnut looked my way.

Damian vanished to go to his class and that's when one bullied attempted his luck and tried to rile me up but didn't get far. Damian appeared out of nowhere and threatened to break his arm if he didn't back off. Damian nodded and then left and they left me alone for most of the day. Lunch was different as Damian joined me for the first time and Astrid kept looking my way as if she wanted to come over and join but I was grateful that she didn't.

When the test rolled around I took my usual place on the bleachers but this time I wasn't allowed to mess with the controls as they had been preprogramed for today. Damian took his place nest to me and then Gobber got the class going and for a while we didn't speak but it wasn't awkward.

"He have you seen a black dragon roaming around recently?" I asked after a while.

"No, why?" he said blankly.

"Because I've already had two run ins with one and I don't know what to make of it. It seems as if he knows me and were meant to be."

His breath caught ever so slightly and that meant that he knew something and wasn't planning on telling me. I frowned and looked at him waiting for a response I wasn't going to back out on this.

"I could tell you what type of dragon it was by a picture. I have all of them memorized."

"Really?" I doubted.

"Just because I never grew up with a dragon doesn't mean I can't be and enthusiast about them." He shot back.

"Alright." I said.

I went and pulled out my notebook and flipped to one of the good images of the dragon I had been dreaming and of the one I had seen. I was near the back and this one I had decided to add color to it so it was probably the best image I had.

"It looked like this." I handed him the notebook.

He looked at it and his eyebrows scrunched together and he looked at the image for a long time. So he either knew exactly what dragon it was and didn't want to tell me for some reason or he had no idea what it was. He finally looked back up and handed me the notebook back.

"I actually don't know. It could be a Night Fury as no one has never seen one before but I can't help you."

I sensed something in his voice that made it seem like he was lying but I didn't press the issue at all. I turned my attention back to the class and a few had actually run their coarse and had barely passed the test. Snotlout was up next and I really didn't want to pay attention and it seemed as if Damian didn't want to either.

"So enjoying the town?" I asked.

"I actually never get so see much of it. But I would like to get to know the place it seems cool."

"It really is and I can recommend a few places to visit if need be. There are a lot of things to do if you know where to look." I said.

"Cool."

"How about you, me, and Astrid all go out for a little fun this weekend?" I suggested.

"Wouldn't you rather it be just you and Astrid?" he countered.

"Well, maybe but I mean, I wouldn't want to leave you out. Its just I don't know if I'm ready for that kind of step." I stuttered.

"Well I was just checking as she has become a little partial to you recently. Eventually you're either going to have to move in out give it up she won't wait forever." he said.

"How do you know that?"

"I had a long conversation with her yesterday when you were out cold all day. She revealed a lot and I agreed to help her in a few things."

"What things?"

"I can't tell you, I promised her."

I sighed and hit him slightly and he laughed and I soon joined him and we began to fall over. A few looked up at us with confused looks and wondered why were laughing so hard but we didn't care. The class was working its way through and Astrid was up next and I was intent on paying attention. Gobber motioned and she mounted her dragon and the race began.

It seemed rather simple but I'm sure it wasn't and he watched. She rounded the barriers and went up, under, and through all the hurdles with relative ease but that was simple. Next was the dodging of projectiles which could range from arrows to swords or even axes. It was all to test agility in battle and confidence in the dragon to keep you on if you were caught in such a situation. It was all about trust which was essential for all riders.

She seemed to be doing well when a sword came up and she dodged and then was caught by and arrow and was nearly thrown from her dragon but she managed to recover. She seemed upset and went on to land and dismount. Gobber congratulated her but she merely huffed in response and I could tell she was extremely angry. Gobber brought up the next student and I lost interest and then I thought of something interesting.

"Do you ever wonder what it would be like to ride a dragon?" I asked.

"Eh, once but not in a long time. When I learned that it wouldn't ever happen I gave up on the prospect."

"Well its always fascinated me, being up in the air and feeling the wind through my face. Just me and the best friend I could ever have. It always reminded me of my mother and how she would act as a friend when I was feeling down. But I never knew what it would be like to just be me up there flying wherever I wanted to go."

"Your mother sounded like a great person."

"She was, I always wondered what happened to her."

I let my head fall slightly as I knew where this conversation would head and it was the exact opposite of where I wanted it to go. I tried to avoid contact and hope that Damian would drop the subject but unfortunately he didn't get the message.

"Have you ever thought about it much? I'm sure she had her reasons."

"I never wanted to talk about it as it hurt and I just assumed she didn't want to stay. Why I never wanted to know, all I wanted to remember is the fond memories and not that fact that she left." I snapped.

"Its better if you do, helps the healing." he said.

'Well maybe I don't want to be healed. If I let her go I lose myself and that is a path I don't want to go down."

"Its not hard I can help if you want."

"I don't want any help!" I yelled.

He looked shocked and I got up and left the stadium. The class watched me storm out surprised by my outburst but I didn't care what they thought. No one talks about my mother that way, I don't care if their friends or not no is allowed. I shoved open the door and walked quickly down the hall and retreated to the safest place in school. There was a small space underneath the bleachers that few people visited to either have some fun with whoever they were dating or wished to skip class.

I took my usual spot and sat down listening to the silence around me and breathed deeply trying to calm down. I closed my eyes and I felt my side beginning to throb and I winced and tried to suppress it. I then heard the doors to the gym open and close and I suck in my breath wondering who on earth would be here. I remained as silent as possible hoping they would just get what they were doing done and then leave so I could enjoy my peace.

"Hiccup? Are you here?"

It was Astrid and as to why she was here I didn't know but most likely she saw my tantrum and me storming out of class. I state quiet and I could hear her walking around and I just hoped she left but fate was not on my side today. She rounded the bleachers and spotted and me and then crossed her arms and gave me a look.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"I want to know why you stormed out of class just now." she demanded.

"No reason, now go away."

"No."

She climbed over and sat across form me and her gaze didn't falter one bit.

"Tell me now, or suffer the consequences."

"Fine, Damian crossed the line and kept drilling me about my mother." I admitted.

Her face changed slightly and and then relented and leaned back and looked down. She may not know me that well but everyone knew what happened to my mother and was to never bring it up less risk the wrath of my dad when he found out.

"Hiccup you can't get mad at him, he had no idea. I think you owe him an apology." she said.

I glared at her and wanted to yell at her that she didn't know what she was talking about but I knew deep down she was right. I had never told him anything about my family nor that I never wanted to talk about them. I owed him the benefit of the doubt and that the way I snapped at him was not what I should have done.

"I guess you're right, do you know where he went?" I asked.

"No, he simply watched you run off and then nodded to me and I followed. Class is over so my guess is he went home."

"Alright thanks, I guess I can apologize later. I guess I'll see you later." I said.

I was slowly getting up and she engulfed me in a hug and I hugged her back as these were some of the things I never got to have. She pulled back and nodded and I left and went to my locker to get my things and discovered Damian standing near my locker and I stopped for a second. I huffed and kept walking and opened my locker without saying anything and avoiding eye contact and he stayed silent.

I couldn't take the silence anymore so I shut my locker and stared right at him and he looked back at me revealing nothing.

"I feel like I owe you an apology after today. You didn't know and it was wrong for me to snap at you." I said.

He raised his hand, "No I should've realized I was treading on territory I had no right to talk about so I'm sorry as well. I hope Astrid explained it a little bit, she was my hope in you coming around."

"She did, and I feel like she really does care. I just hope it doesn't ever backfire."

"If you don't want it to backfire your need to jump on the situation. I you get my meaning."

My face grew extremely warm and I hit him and he laughed. I was still mad at him but not nearly as much as I was before. He motioned and we began to walk out of the school and I thought about this weekend which was going to be like all normal weekends, completely empty. We talked about anything and everything and had a few laughs and I discovered that Damian was my first true friend unlike Astrid who was a whole different case.

I waved and he left to go off to wherever his home was, which I had no reference because nothing near had come up for sale. There were many things that were a mystery regarding Damian, and hopefully I could find them out. When walking up to my door I found Astrid waiting there with Stormfly sitting on the front steps.

"What are you doing here?" I asked when walking up.

"I wanted to know if you would be willing to go to me to the dragon race tonight. I was originally going to go with Ruffnut but she had plans."

"You're asking me to go with you? Is this even real?" I said dumbfounded.

"Don't be a dumb ass and answer me." she demanded.

"Alright let me just do a few things inside, you can wait on the couch."

I motioned her inside and she obliged and I threw my back pack down and ran up to my room to find my phone and discovered no messages, no calls, nothing. Which was weird as my dad usually called every few days when out on a mission, I guess he just forgot. I quickly grabbed a coat and ran back down the stairs to see Astrid with the TV on. She motioned for me to come watch.

"We have just received news that Chief Stoick Haddock was taken captive by the terrorist group known as the Outcasts. His team of twenty cops were searching reports of a rouge dragon on the east side of the city only to discover it was a trap. Fifteen cops were killed in the ensuing fight and four were seriously injured. Two still remain in critical condition while the other two have been moved into recovery wings of the hospital." the reporter said.

I was stunned to say the least, I have never known anyone able to catch my father off guard let alone capture him. I sat down next to Astrid and turned up the volume.

"The acting Chief Dagur, had this to say. 'The recent attacks by the Outcasts will be met with the full force of the police and a huge investigation will be involved in trying to find the lost Chief. Until such time we ask all citizens to remain calm but stay vigilant as we do not know the full extent of this groups capabilities. Other police forces in the area are joining forces to combat this enemy.' The Chief has now moved to secure the downtown area and has placed a curfew of 11 pm for all those in the south and downtown areas.

Funerals for the fallen police will begin next week and we send our sympathies and concerns to the Haddock family. Mainly the only living son of Stoick Hiccup. This family has seen more tragedy than any other and we hope we can avoid any further. The wild dragon reports have sprung up near the Haddock household and we hope that the young Hiccup can hold it together. If you are watching now Hiccup the city cries out with you and will do anything to get your father back. We will have more tomorrow and for now goodnight."

I shut off the TV and stared at the black screen for a long time. What happened to my mother was happening again only this time I had no other family left to rely on. My mother was an only child, and my dad only had one sibling who lived across the country and couldn't do anything. I was literally on my own until they found my father, whether he was alive or not. I felt Astrid give me a hug and I felt a tear roll down my face and at this moment all I wanted was her to stay and that black dragon to show up.

I began to curl up and sob harder like I did when my mother first left. I heard a loud thud and jumped and wiped my face. Astrid stayed on the couch and quickly called her mother and left the room for a few minutes. I walked to the back door and opened it to the cool fall air which was growing colder as the day came to a close. The sun was barely above the horizon and it was barely passing five. I heard the thud again and looked around but saw nothing and I walked out into the yard and brought my arms around for warmth. I wandered most of the yard and found nothing but a third a fourth thump resounded across the yard and it was beginning to bother me.

At this point I gave up and walked back to the house and I could feel tears beginning to creep into my eyes but I shoved it aside. I just had to forget it and move on if I intended to survive. Its what I did with my mom and it would work now, it had to. My path was then blocked by a huge black mass that I didn't see until I ran into it and nearly fell over but the dragon caught me. I saw the eyes and I knew it was the same one and tears began pour down.

I heard the door open and Astrid walk out and gasp at the sight of me crying while holding onto the most deadly dragon in history. She must've gotten over it because she walked up and laid a hand on my back. I got up and walked back inside anklet all of them in much to Astrid's discomfort at having a wild dragon inside.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"About what, how I just lost the last of my family the same way I lost my mother. It seems I'm doomed to be alone. No dragon, then no mother, and now no father might as well just end the sad cycle." I said dejectedly.

"No you can't do that, you can't give in not now, not ever. You may think your alone but your not. You have me and Damian and I'm guessing this dragon has taken to liking you. The worst thing you can do now is to give up."

"I just need time to be alone, I'll call you." I said.

She nodded and slowly left and shut the door behind her. I simply laid against the dragon and felt comfort from the big beast next to me. I sighed and sat thinking about what had happened, nothing could be worse. But I was so wrong on that account.

 **So here's the next chapter and it only get's worse from here so sit tight. I putting Hiccup and Astrid on a low and slow growing friendship, then admiration, and then eventually into a couple but it won't be** **super fast** **as some might want. Hope you enjoy and here soon I'll be** **moving** **the Hiccup and Toothless relationship** **forward** **quickly and** **delving** **into the mystery of some characters. Don't worry we'll be expanding Stoick's situation and no he's not gone, not entirely. Enjoy and review. -starwarswiz**


	4. Chapter 4

The weekend was not at all fun or even mildly entertaining. All I did was stay home and avoid everyone, I didn't even answer when Astrid called. The black dragon, or Night Fury as was determined, stayed for a few hours and then took off and I didn't see him the rest of the weekend. Hours slipped by in what felt like seconds as I was numb to the outside world and before I realized it it was late Sunday night and I had school the next day. I wasn't to happy at the prospect because most likely I'd get hell from everyone now that my father wasn't here to protect me.

That was his one redeeming quality in my eyes is that he could prevent me from getting a total ass kicking because he still defended me when necessary. I simply went to sleep hoping the day would pass quickly and I could avoid everyone. Monday morning rolled around and I got up later and left later hoping to miss the major crowds and get in unseen. Because of the delay I avoided Astrid and Damian who I did not want to talk to and made it to school with no one giving me so much as a glance. The school was quieter than usual as the air of fear was starting to set in town in light of recent events and I couldn't blame them. The Outcasts started out as a gang and was slowly growing in power over the last three years and now they were a full blown terrorist group with multiple cells in surrounding cities.

My dad never worried so neither did the other cities but with his recent disappearance the amount of people coming and going from the area decreased significantly. The military was nowhere to be seen as apparently the threat was not high enough for them to get involved. They said they were dealing with another group named the Berserkers which had infiltrated some high level positions and had brought several cities to their knees.

It was weird but I had learned to live with these situations years ago. I didn't see Astrid or Damian and got to first period and sat down and buried my head in my arms and hoped no one paid me any mind. My luck unfortunately had finally run out.

"He Useless how's your dad, oh wait, he was dumb enough to get caught. Wouldn't be surprised if he's dead, you had to get your clumsiness from somewhere." Snotlout said.

I ignored him and kept my head down and I could feel his smile as he stood there. Luckily he has a short attention span and after a minute of no response he huffed and went back over to his desk. The class was over quickly and I hadn't paid any attention and I really didn't care because the next class worried me. Damian was in that class and I did not want to talk to him and have him worrying so much for nothing.

I swallowed my fear and went to the next class regardless of the consequences and I was the first one in and I quickly sat down. A few others filed in and I put my head down hoping to be avoided by everyone. Damian entered, looked at me, and then sat down. I was a little surprised that he said nothing to me but I appreciated he could understand space. The class went by rather boring as did the rest of the day and I dreaded when dragon training rolled around.

I was the first into the arena and I sat at the back where no one was likely to spot me and I put the hood up on the jacket I had brought with me. Damian strode in quickly and looked around and settled on me and then ran up the steps.

"Hey tell Gobber I can't stay for class. He'll know what I mean." he said.

I Simply nodded and he smiled slightly which was weird because it seemed like this was the first time I was actually seeing him smile. He ran back down the steps and disappeared and the other students began to fly in. Gobber walked up and handed me the controls like usual and I stopped him before he could go.

"Damian told me he couldn't stay for class and that you would understand." I said.

"Aye I understand why the lad can't stay. Just hang in the Hiccup." he responded.

I nodded and he walked back down to the class and I noticed that Astrid was sending worried looks my way and I did my best to keep a straight face. Gobber began talking and I looked over the controls and it looked like they added a few features which included surprise traps and movable pieces in the obstacle coarse. The first few were easy and I began to grow board but just as the next person was to go a huge roar echoed throughout the arena and Gobber stopped him and then looked back at the class.

"Alrighty whose dragon was it? You need to keep em quiet." he said.

The next roar was quieter and much lower in tone and that made me realize that none of the dragons here could achieve that kind of sound. I had heard it before and that began to make me panic because now he was following me. This was not and ideal situation and it was only made worse when the midnight black dragon entered through the main entrance looking around for me. I heard the class gasp at the sudden appearance of the legend made flesh.

The dragon spotted me and got a very happy look on its face and it bounded towards me as the entire class looked in awe. He stopped just short and began to nudge me with his nose and hum contently and I smiled slightly but then I realized the entire class was watching. My smiled died and I looked down and Gobber was smiling widely but the rest of the class was dumbfounded to say the least.

"What are you doing here? You need to go." I said to the dragon.

He either understood and ignored me or had no idea what I was saying. The dragon simply smiled and I saw his mouth was entirely devoid of teeth and I could've sworn he had some before.

"I could've sworn you had," he dropped the teeth, turned and growled, "teeth." I said.

Snotlout was seeking up behind him but apparently the dragon had way better hearing than he let on. He continued to growl but then Snotlout took the hint and began to back off. I laughed and he turned and got a happy face to his amusement. He quickly bounded down the steps and once on the ground motioned for me to follow and I did. Once on the ground I placed a hand on his snout and he purred into my touch and for the first time in the last few days my mood improved.

"Hiccup is there something you want to tell us?" Gobber asked.

"Well this dragon has been following me for the last few days and I guess that means even at school." I said.

"Does he have a name?"

"Uh, Toothless."

"Interesting. Alright class can anyone tell me what type of dragon this is?" he asked.

Everyone looked around and Astrid's hand shot up.

"Astrid."

"Its a Night Fury." she said.

"Indeed it is. The most elusive and deadly of all dragons and it seems our little Hiccup has managed to make a friend out of one."

"How do you know its a Night Fury?" someone asked.

"What other type would it be. The Night Fury is the only dragon that we have never photographed so by the process of elimination this has to be one." Astrid said.

"Can you fly him Hiccup?" Gobber asked.

"Never tried to." I admitted.

I then looked back at him and he was bouncing eagerly and I looked back at his tail that was injured before and it seemed someone had made a crude replacement to help him fly. It seemed simply to allow him low levels of flight but from what I could tell was not built for big maneuvering or high speed flying. It would simply fly apart if it was used too much and it seemed it would fall apart regardless in the next few days.

"Um well his tail is not flight worthy. It looks like he needs a better replacement before I even think of trying to get into the air." I said.

"Alrighty, the others can pick up the slack and run an extra lap. You run along and get that dragon figured out I hope he stays. You'll get to participate if he does."

The class groaned and I smiled and walked out of the stadium back towards the school to get my stuff and then head home. I managed to get Toothless to stay out of the school while I ran in grabbed a few things and then bolted back out of the school to see him sitting there. He jumped up and bounced around eager to go and fly but I wasn't ready for that.

"Calm down, we'll fly later once I fix your tail problem. For now we'll just walk."

He didn't seem to happy about that choice as I started walking away he charged shot me up with his head and I landed on his back. Before I could protest we were in the sky flying fast back to my house which was coming up much faster than I thought possible. The flight felt amazing as it always did with my mother but this was something different entirely. This was my dragon and it was me flying by myself which I had wanted all my life. I must of yelled because Toothless roared and did some hops in the air.

Unfortunately now on dragon back my house was much closer and took far less time to reach and the flight came to an end. Once we landed I jumped around hyped up on adrenaline and sheer joy of my first flight with my own dragon. I ran up to my room and quickly grabbed a few things and then came back down and tried to get Toothless to stay still and once I had managed I began to look at the mess that was his tail.

The replacement was nice work since it was so hastily done but I could see it was falling apart because of that quickness. I measured out his tail dimensions and then removed the prosthetic and had a look at his actual tail which was a mess. Scar tissue and beaten scales at odd angles were all over the ripped part of his tail. Most likely it was painful at times and extremely uncomfortable especially with the prosthetic over all the scar tissue. I went in and got a small kitchen knife and then lifted some of the scales to see how he reacted and it seemed as if he didn't even notice. Most likely the scar had grown but no nerves came in with the replaced tissue.

I then took the knife and began to take away the bad scales and the ones growing at odd angles to better help shape the wing to his tail. Toothless gave no cry of pain of even discomfort but watched me with his eyes intently trying to ascertain what I was doing. Once a good number of the bad scales had been removed I set the knife down and then ran my hand over the tail to get a feel how the prosthetic should be molded and I got the idea I needed.

The tail would be simple, a thin wing of kite material with and interlocking gear that will be attached to a rod the holds onto the bone that changes the angle and size of the other wing. If it worked correctly then it should follow and map the movements of the other wing and act as if he had never lost a wing in the first place. I smiled to myself and took the knife and walked back inside and Toothless followed but stopped at the door waiting for me to let him in.

I laughed and waved and he worked his way in and sat down near the couch and then events of the past day came back to mind and my mood turned sour. I heard a cry and then a thud as a dragon had landed outside on the front yard and I moved to see who it was and it was Astrid and she looked rather distressed. I opened the door and she ran inside and quickly went over to the tv and turned it on.

"Well hello Astrid come on in." I said.

"Shut up ass, I don't have time for your sarcasm you need to see this."

The TV was turned to the news and the breaking news flashed on the screen before the reporter came up.

"This just in we have reports that the Outcast terrorists have raided the dragon hatchery and have stolen dozens of eggs and destroyed millions of dollars worth of equipment. Most of the dragons that were stolen were Changewings, Whispering Deaths, and Thunderdrums. Alvin himself was seen leading the men in the attack while the police were distracted in a firefight with his men four blocks away. Two police were killed in the fight along with four injured and only one Outcast was killed but they did manage to capture the Lieutenant.

We all hope the police can handle this new group but it seems the situation just gets worse. In other news the major gang known as the Berserkers have collapsed into fifteen different groups with some joining the Outcasts but at least half of the organization is now in custody. The national guard now promises to transfer some heavy guns to Berk for its defense. They refused to elaborate on what those weapons but now we know we will all be a little safer."

I thought it was insane that such a group like the Berserkers would fall apart sow quickly. They had existed for nearly ten years but at least they were gone which would definitely alleviate some concerns in the city.

"We have other news regarding the dragon reports and it seems that this dragon is a four winged dragon with a rider. The police are currently ignoring the rouge dragon but if you have any information on this rider please contact the police immediately. The dragon races for the next few nights will be cancelled in light of the attacks but the high school dragon races will still begin in two weeks at the city's stadium and are open to all high school dragon riders. We hope to see the young show what Berk is truly like especially in light of what has been happening. Good Night."

The broadcast ended and I looked back at Astrid who looked a mixture of excited and concerned.

"Is that all you wanted me to see?" I asked.

"Yeah but its crazy we get to still have the dragon races this year. It may finally be the year that Berk actually wins the title." she exclaimed.

"How? Most schools have far more experienced riders than us and have no speed advantage as our dragons are virtually the same." I said.

"Yeah but we have a secret weapon. You."

"Why me, I've never even ridden a dragon before in my life. You expect me to win against people who have been training for years. Why do you think that is even possible?"

"Night Furies are the fastest dragons in the world and I can teach you how to ride. It isn't hard and you can finally prove yourself!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah but my dad won't see. I don't know, first I have to fix his tail if I even hope to get into the air."

"At least give it a thought, for me?"

"Alright I'll think about it."

She smiled and then engulfed me in a quick hug and ran to the door.

"Don't worry Hiccup they'll find him. Just hang in there and if you need to talk, I'm always here."

"Thanks Astrid."

She left and shut the door and I watched her jump on her dragon's back and fly away. I turned back to my design for the tail and made a few changes and then decided to turn in for the night. I made a small meal of spaghetti and then quickly wound up in bed. Snow was falling lightly outside and I had noticed that Toothless was gone again and that bothered me.

This dragon appeared out of nowhere and then disappeared without a trace but he was wild so it didn't matter. That got me thinking of Damian who I knew almost next to nothing about. He appeared and disappeared quickly and has stood up for me on several occasions. I set a new goal for myself and not just to finish the tail but to find out who Damian really was.

 **So here is another chapter with a lot of subtle hints at whats to come. Let the** **theories** **begin and once you think you have it let me know and I'll see if your right. Don't expect me to tell you exactly what's to come but I'll lead you in the right direction. The hints a small but there and over time you should be able to piece more and more of the mystery** **together** **. Where is Stoick, where does Damian go and who is he, what are the Outcasts and what are their goals, who is the rouge dragon, what happened to Hiccup's mom that tears him up? All are questions to come with Astrid and Hiccup being the forefront of them. Enjoy and review. -starwarswiz**


	5. Chapter 5

It was hard work but I spent the next three days working hard at trying to finish the new tail for Toothless but it was almost complete. The interlocking gears was the most difficult part but it was almost locked and moving. School had been very quiet these past few days as the federal government began to work its way into Berk to bolster its defense. The heavy weapons they talked about ended up being two huge Bewilderbeasts standing guard at the two major highways that linked Berk with the outside world.

Police had cracked down on all possible leads and it was relatively calm these last few days but you could feel the dread in the air. I had told Gobber my plan to start dragon training once I had fixed Toothless' tail and managed to keep him in one place for more than one or two hours. Astrid was very enthusiastic about the prospect of me actually joining the dragon races this year and seemed to want to work as a team. She told me she had entered the races for the past two years and came within the last ten participants.

It excited me slightly but it made me nervous more than anything else. People had been giving more attention than I wanted at school but luckily that kept Conner away. That and the fact that Damian had turned into my silent shadow that threatened to beat anyone who would try anything. It was annoying but I was grateful at the same time that I now had a protector. School seemed to fly by without anyone hassling me every five seconds but of coarse my dad being gone still loomed over my head. Just the night before Astrid's family came and had dinner with me again and I appreciated it because I was beginning to fall apart at the hinges with everything that was going on.

I hadn't forgotten my promise to find out more things about Toothless but that ended up being a dead end as he was simply a dragon that liked me for some reason. Damian was a whole different story that was very difficult to piece together. I had asked around if anyone knew where he went but that ended up being fruitless as no one knew anything. So I decided that I would simply ask him but he just brushed it off or refused to answer and that frustrated me more than anything else. Then I came up with the idea to follow him and that was to happen today after school and I only told Astrid what I was doing.

I was sitting in dragon training silently working on the tail and Toothless decided to be a no show but that was for the best as the tail wasn't ready. Damian was quiet and watching the class maneuver and smiling small to himself. That really irked me that he could find amusement in the weirdest things. I resifted my focus on oiling the tail and then unfolded the device and then proceeded to move the tail and see if the spring and gears worked. It did and I got a smile on my face that for once and I got Damian's attention.

"What do you think?" I asked.

Damian looked over with a very blank expression but his face seemed to brighten upon seeing it.

"You finished it?" he asked.

"Yeah, I finally got the gears to work without flying out of place. It took a few tweaks but I think that it'll work now. Of coarse I'll need to take it for a test run first, but its still cool right?"

"Totally I'm glad that something is working in this town." he said.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing."

"If you say so."

I folded the wing back up and set it aside wondering what he meant by it but I brushed it aside as it would be answered later. Class was almost over and I began to grew nervous as what Damian might do after school and if he would do his regular routine. I was hoping it would lead me to his home and I could figure out who he was. The bell rang and I got up and slowly walked to my locker and made sure I kept Damian within my sights.

He never noticed me and then quickly bolted out of the school with me barely able to keep up. I had to divert away from his path as he would occasionally look behind him. He seemed to be heading to the far east side of town which was almost an hour away from the school and my house which only confused me more. He usually was outside my house before I was even ready which made absolutely no sense. He had kept up the pace for nearly half and hour and my legs were beginning to scream at me and I couldn't keep at it much longer.

He came up to a regular house at the far edge of a neighborhood and that gave me great deal of doubts. The house he walked up to seemed normal and all of a sudden it dawned on me that he didn't tell people his life because he didn't want to. I still intended to see this out and he quickly entered the house and shut the door behind him. I then sat there for about twenty minutes before deciding that there was nothing really special about Damian and that's when I heard dragon wings.

I looked up to see the four winged dragon that had been on the news lately and there was in fact someone riding the dragon so it wasn't just some wild dragon attacks. The dragon landed on the lawn of the same house that Damian went into and that made me wonder again that there might in fact be more to Damian than he let on. The rider dismounted and Damian came out to met him and the mysterious person removed their helm. Only it was a man, long hair descended into several braids and it was a bright brownish red.

Something seemed eerily familiar but she never turned around so I could never see her face. I slid back down behind the bush and then thought on what I had seen. I would eventually confront him about it but now I needed to get home to be ready for whenever Toothless showed up and we could try out our first flight. So I got up and made my escape and on the way home I discovered how out of the way he truly lived because at the pace I was going it took me almost two hours to make it home.

Once there I plopped down onto the couch completely exhausted after today and decided to turn on the TV for a little while. Nothing was on and I spent a few minutes scrolling through the channels until I gave up and ended up just watching the news for awhile. It was nothing to important just the lottery numbers and few small things that didn't affect anything. But what got my attention was when the breaking news flashed onto the screen.

"We bring you this special report from the Outcast terrorist group. They have issued a warning for the city stating that if the dragon races proceed there will be severe consequences which were not specified. They have also warned that they will begin to target civilians if the police does not stop its crusade against them. No word has been received from the Chief of police but it seems the dragon races will go on as planned. The gang has also made and attack on one of the largest banks making off with nearly half a million dollars and at the same time managed to get their second in command, Savage, out of jail. Fifteen officers were killed and another twenty were injured in the two attacks as the gang has new specialized weapons.

There was word on the former Chief, Stoick, and the police department managed to raid and Outcast location and save the Chief. He currently remains in the hospital unresponsive but the doctors say he will make a full recovery. When he plans to return to duty is yet unknown but we can at least sleep easier knowing he is home. There have been more sightings of the dragon vigilante and police have decided to give up the chase and focus more of their energy on the gang.

We like to conclude this special report with word on what the city has in plan. The police will loosen the curfew to midnight and open up more travel ways in dangerous areas but people are to remain vigilant. If you see any suspicious activity call the police right away and do not engage the men. We thank you for your time."

The TV went back to the regular news and I sat there dumbfounded at what I had just found out. My father was alive and rescued for awhile now and no one had bothered to tell me at all. It shocked me to my core that they would do that but as I saw the police were busy enough with everything that they had most likely forgot. I got up and grabbed the tail and now went outside and waited for Toothless to come because I had a mission to do and I would not take no as an answer.

I waited outside for and hour in the cold as the sun has finally set and it was starting to freeze. No major snow had fallen yet but you could tell in the air that a storm was coming and it would be a nasty one. If anything was constant in Berk it was that the snow storms were violent and very hard. Once the stars had begun to come out I was very frustrated and thought that he wasn't coming tonight and that did not make me happy in the slightest. But just as I was about to head back in the house I heard the beating of wings and I heard a loud thud on the ground behind me.

He was there black as the night and had a happy look on his face. How he managed that monstrosity of a tail going this long was a wonder to me but no more.

"I have a surprise for you." I said.

He tilted his head like he was confused and I got the tail and held it up. He stalked over and sniffed it and then looked back at me with a confused look still on his face. I opened it and suddenly he understood what it was and the look of pure joy and excitement was all over his face and in his action. He was bouncing with joy and was nudging me to get going and put it one him. I managed to calm him down and moved to his tail and removed the makeshift one that had already fallen apart at this point.

It strapped and clicked the tail into place and hoped it worked because if not Toothless would be stuck here a long time until I could get it fixed. But it seemed luck was on my side as the tail seemed to react to his actual tail really well. He began to bounce around with his new tail on and I smiled as he continued to open and close his new tail. He was itching to fly and that was evident as he kept nudging me to get on and go.

"Alright I'll go but we have to take this flight slow and we are going to go to the hospital." I said.

He stopped running around and the waited for me. I slowly got on top of his back and rubbed the top of his head and he pumped his wings once and launched into the sky. I had never been so excited or terrified at the same time in my entire life. I felt free at the feeling of just flying by myself and at the fact that this was my dragon and it was all for me. I smiled and then yelled into the sky at my triumph and Toothless roared along with me.

"Make for the hospital." I yelled.

Toothless banked and then made his way over the city and in the dying light of the day and the ever increasing darkness the city looked astonishing. It was as if I was seeing it for the very first time in my entire life and it made me feel amazing. At that moment I felt like I was untouchable and invincible and nothing could ever touch me as long as I had Toothless. I saw the hospital and moved Toothless and we began our long and gentle descent into the parking lot of the place scaring quite a few people in the process.

As people began to stare at Toothless I bolted into the building and ran up to the desk and waited for the secretary.

"Name." she said.

"Hiccup Haddock."

"Haddock. I assume you are to see your father."

"Yes."

"Room 206 and Hiccup don't worry your father is going to be fine."

I nodded before moving quickly down the hall and then sprinted up the steps to the next floor. I walked down the hallway and passed by room after room until I came by the number I was looking for. I sighed deeply and then opened the door to find my father fast asleep in the bed with a simply heart monitor hooked up to him. I walked over slowly and began to shake slightly at what might happen if he were to wake up. He might yell and scream at me saying how disappointed he was but that didn't happen because when I sat next to him he didn't even stir.

I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes and I wiped them and continued to look on at my dad. He looked so peaceful with all his scowling and worry lines gone as he slept and for a moment I forgot he had been gone for almost three weeks.

"Hey dad. I came as soon as I could and I know I'm not one of the people you would want to see but…" I stopped.

More tears began to stream down my face as I came to grips with a lot of things all at once. My father's opinion of me and what he had wanted, and how the world saw me and how terrible I must seem.

"I just wanted to say that I'm glad your back. I know we never had the best of relationships but I couldn't believe that you of all people could die just like that. I know its been difficult since mom left for you most of all, but I'm willing to try if you want. I'm tired of being shoved away and I don't know what to do anymore. Just don't leave please."

I sobbed quietly for a few minutes and all I heard was the beep of his heart monitor and thats when my anger started to build. I was angry about this, at him, and at every who ever ridiculed me. For years I just dealt with all the hurt and pain and knew that if I tried to do something it would just make my situation work. Now I had others to back me so I would no longer take it, and just brush it off. It was time he knew what he had done and how he needed to pay for it.

"Why did you shove me away? Was I such a burden that you couldn't bare it anymore? That the great Stoick couldn't have a fishbone like me and that just tore you up? I guess it would make you happy if I just left, or disappeared?"

I stared at him with all my fury and he still layer there silent and asleep and that sent me over the edge. Hot tears rolled down my face as years of hurt and anger finally surfaced and I couldn't see him through all the tears. I utterly fell apart and I had no idea what to do so I pulled out my phone and called the only person who I could trust in the whole world. The tone rang once, twice, then three times before it was picked up.

"Hiccup?" Astrid said.

"Astrid I'm at the hospital can you swing by and get me? I'm a total mess and I need a ride home."

"Give me a little bit and I'll be over." she said.

"Thanks." and I hung up.

I looked back at my dad and again he was the exact same.

"Are you just going to lie there and do nothing? It doesn't matter, you wouldn't care anyway. At least there is someone who still cares or I may not of stuck around to seem them bring your sorry ass home. Imagine how you would be if you came home to having a dead son because you couldn't take the time to care about him. I hope it would tear you apart, to feel utterly alone and you being the sole cause of it."

I looked over at the clock and it was nearing eight in the evening and I knew I needed to get home as tomorrow I would begin dragon lessons with Astrid. I looked back at him and got up feeling satisfied and I had hoped that his coma allowed him to hear all of it. He needed to know what he has done to me for the past four years and there will be no more of it. I smiled to myself and left his room feeling much lighter than I use to be. It felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

"You know I found a dragon, the most powerful of them all. I call him Toothless which is really funny if you ever wanted to know. I also found someone who cares, her name is Astrid and I really like her though she doesn't know it. One day though, I hope it will lead to more but what am I saying you don't care, you never did."

I shut the door and walked down the hall and the stairs and out to the front parking lot. The night was cold and a few flakes were falling and it was the beginning of the first snow storm that was going to hit Berk and I knew it wouldn't be too bad the first ones never were. Toothless came over and he nudged me and I rubbed his head and I noticed the amount of people who had gathered around the hospital and then I heard the screech of a car.

Pulling into the parking lot was a local science team and the news crew and this day had gone from good to bad to the absolute worst. The team rushed out quickly and moved the people back which was nice but Toothless became very defensive and started to growl lowly. He wrapped his tail around me and brought himself low to the ground.

"At ease gentlemen your scaring the poor dragon and that is the last thing we want to happen. Now would you kindly tell me your name young lad." the man asked.

"Hiccup and you might be?" I said slowly.

"Oh where are my manners. My name is Doctor Mandel, lead scientist at the dragon hatchery and research facilities. I profess in all matters dragon but this one had never been documented before. So when I received news of one sitting outside the city hospital I just had to go and see for myself."

"Ok but I was just about to leave so."

"I I just wanted to meet you and I had no plans to bring media attention to this but sadly after that attack with the Outcasts they have been following us very closely. It seems as if their monitoring us so we don't rebuild too much. Just as this interim chief of police, Dagur, had done nothing against them it seems to me they are all connected. But enough of that its time we talked but its very late."

I heard a squawk and Astrid had arrived and landed with Stormfly and ran over to me completely ignoring all the people around.

"Hiccup what is going on here?" she demanded.

"Ah Miss Hofferson so nice to see you again, how is your family?" Mandel asked.

"Mandel? Sure my family is fine but what are you doing here?"

"That dragon is why but we mustn't stay here. Why don't we all head back to my office and talk? Don't worry about school my office will contact them and get you out for the rest of the week, us three have much to discuss."

I stood there dumbfounded as he ordered his men to pile back in their van and they all left but he remained. We followed him and suddenly a Nightmare appeared and he clambered onto its back and waved for us to follow. I looked over at Astrid and shrugged and then hopped onto to Toothless and Astrid did with Stormfly and we followed. It was very confusing as to why this man was so interested in me and Toothless but he apparently didn't trust anyone to keep what he wanted to know a secret.

The flight was short but the building itself loomed over the city. It was a huge tower, one of the tallest, with various colors representing the different dragons that they housed and of course it would be designed so because this was the world headquarters for them. Berk was where it all started and if there is one thing about Berkians is they loved to horn their roots. The building grew larger as we got closer but the true wonders were on the inside of the building. I knew the whole place as I had hacked their servers two years ago when I was bored.

We never landed outside the building but went to a low wing and the ceiling opened up and we descend into the building and It was very impressive but you could tell the damage of the raid was still there. There were bullet holes and a few black splotches here and there from explosions and while there were constructions crews working to repair the damage it was going to take a long time for this place to feel like it use to be. I just looked around at all the memories that I had in here, which was my failure to find a dragon and all the tests that indued when the doctors tried to figure out why.

We left the dragons behind and we followed Mandel into his office and his shut the door and drew the blinds. Why he was acting so strange I would never know but the least I could do was ask.

"Doctor why all the secrecy?" I asked.

"Ever since this place was broken into the security has been increased but also because of what is happening in this city. You may not see it but I do, the Outcasts are moving to take over this city and have begun their end game. However without the Berserkers I imagine their plans were delayed quite a bit but that doesn't change what the end will bring. They have placed individuals in key locations and are moving through terror and political gain to take this city."

"If all of that is true why haven't they tried before?" Astrid asked.

"Because of the Haddock family. Ever since the beginning of Berk the Haddocks have ruled the city and have kept it safe from those who would do it harm. But the Haddock family slowly died and now you and Stoick are all that remains of that family, a small knife edge of hope. With Stoick now out of power the Outcasts and any other group have undisputed reign in this city. Which ultimately leads me back to you Hiccup."

"Why me?"

"Ever since no dragon chose you we have worked day and night to figure out why that is. I have finally figured it out. Your name sake was Hiccup Haddock III and he brought peace between dragons and man with a Night Fury but that is only one side. He had control of all dragons, he saved the Night Furies, the Bewilderbeasts, the Skrills, and any other rare dragon out there. He could bond with any dragon and that is why today we are where we are. But that underlying control never vanished. His blood was slowly diluted by others until all that power was all but gone."

"What does this have anything to do with me?"

"Over the years the power has sat dormant and the Haddock family has faded almost into oblivion as it did with the last Hiccup but now it is time that the power came back but it needed the right person. You are that person and you are the key to everything I have worked for my entire life."

 **Ok so there is a lot to this chapter. A lot of emotion was laid down but also a lot of hints as to how this story is going to progress so if you really want to start guessing the time is now. A few are on the right track and have the** **initial** **part of the underlying story but not even close to the real picture. So read over the material I have given and start crafting your ideas and let me know what you come up with it should be** **interesting** **. So now and explanation as to why this took so long. One I was busy finishing the books of Game of Thrones in light of the new season and second I'm getting ready to end school and** **graduate** **so that takes up a lot of** **time. I hope you guys don't get mad at me for taking so long but with the school year ending the chapters should come out faster. Enjoy and review. -starwarswiz**


	6. Chapter 6

"What do you mean I'm the key?" I yelled.

"I know it is a lot to take in but just hear me out as there is a lot you need to know. It has a lot to do with your family but I can see you might be a little overwhelmed so I will leave you for the time being and return in a few minutes."

Mandel left and I sat down heavily in a chair and Astrid sat across from me.

"You don't really believe him do you?" I asked.

"About the Outcasts it does seem to make some sense but is still far fetched, but the thing about the dragons and your ancestors I have no idea. It just seems to good to be true and there is definitely something off about him. He seems a little too enthusiastic about having you and your dragon here." she said.

"I mean I can believe him about the Outcasts but its just seems that his story about the dragons hits home. I mean it would explain a good amount of why I am who I am but it still leaves more questions than it answers. I mean if I was so important why didn't he tell my parents or keep my mother from leaving or so many other things that have happened to me? Why now?"

"I don't know Hiccup. I just think we need to leave and get home this is just too suspicious."

"Yeah I mean we can talk about this more when were home."

We both got up and left his office and went back to where our dragons were but were stopped by Mandel before we could reach them.

"Leaving so soon? I guess it is rather late but do not forget what I said and we will be in contact."

He moved out of the way and we picked up the pace to the dragons. I couldn't have been more relieved when we took off and left as that place had an edge to it that needed to be fixed. We quickly mounted and then launched into the skies and made for home flying over the center of the city in the process. It was dark and the city was lit up and from way up in the sky you couldn't tell that the city was under attack. It looked calm and peaceful and just like any other city in the country which gave me some solace.

We then left the city scape and flew over the miles of neighborhoods and many had lights on and it seemed just like any other night. Only this one was getting colder and the snow was beginning to pick up as the storm got closer and closer. We landed quickly and rushed into my house where I promptly collapsed down onto the ground and sighed deeply. Stormfly stayed outside but Toothless followed me in like usual and Astrid shut the door behind her.

"You sure Stormfly will be alright?" I asked.

"Yeah having the hottest fire tends to keep her warm pretty easily. Why do you let Toothless in anyways?" she retorted

"I don't know it just feels right to have him close. Its really weird its like I know him but yet I don't not really. I need to tell you something."

"Shoot."

"Its about earlier today. I kind of followed Damian back to his house and saw some pretty weird stuff."

Toothless picked up his head for some reason and Astrid got a very serious look on her face. Usually when she had that she was either very mad or was thinking very hard about something. I hoped it was the latter.

"You need to be careful Hiccup. He wants to keep his life private and I don't think you really have the right to go snooping around."

"Yeah but it just nagged at me. So when I got there I saw the four winged dragon and the rider, so apparently he lives with this vigilante. Its not good, he's so secretive and I don't want someone like that so close to me and protect me and not explain why. But the thing about the four winged dragon is it reminded me of my mother but there is no way that is possible. She's been gone for nearly four years at this point."

"I don't know Hiccup but the next time you try something like this you need to tell me so you don't end up in huge trouble."

"Alright I will."

She brought me up and cupped my face with both of her hands. She forced me to look her directly in her piercing blue eyes.

"Promise me you won't do anything dangerous. I just can't let you get into danger, for some reason you mean too much to me now." she said.

"Astrid I can promise you I won't. Not ever again."

She had a few tears fall and I brought her in for a hug and she let a few small sobs escape her and this was a first. Never had Astrid shown so much emotion before because she always viewed it as being weak. It was humbling to say the least but then I realized what I was doing. I was hugging her, the girl I had a crush on for years and this time it didn't seem awkward at all.

Once she had seemed to pull herself together she pulled away and smiled and then turned towards the door. Before she opened the door she turned and opened her mouth to say something but paused for a slight moment.

"Hiccup you wouldn't mind if we hung out some. I mean outside of dragon training?" she asked.

"Sure, I can whenever."

"How about tonight?"

"What, why?"

"Well we don't have school tomorrow the way this storm is shaping up and my parents are away for a few days. I just need someplace to stay where I know I'm safe."

"Well do you need to get anything?" I asked.

"Yeah but I'll make it quick. Do you have a place for Stromfly to stay?"

"Yeah there are stables out back. She'll be nice and warm in them. There top of the line stables."

"Alright I'll be back in a little bit."

She ran out the door and I sat down and took in to what I had just agreed to. I was allowing the girl I liked a place to stay. Not only that but she wanted to stay and I thought that there was nothing wrong with it. What the hell was going on with me, a few weeks ago and I wouldn't have even considered the idea of this happening. Now it was like it was a dream come true.

"I'm crazy, aren't I?" I asked Toothless.

He simply huffed and went over and laid down next to the couch where the fireplace had just turned on. Outside the snow was coming down harder and I turned on the TV and saw that there was indeed the first winter storm headed straight for Berk. There predicted a few inches of snow and temperatures almost into the single digits already. This was rare so early on in the year but this only meant that the winter was going to be far worse than the years past.

I waited ten, then fifteen, and then at twenty minutes I began to start to worry that the storm had carried her away or somehow killed her. That thought scared the shit out of me but I pushed back not wanting to come to conclusions too quickly. I heard a thud and saw that out back she had landed and was leading her dragon into the stables before the snow buried the entrance. Once inside she bolted for the backdoor which I swung open and she darted inside and breathed a sigh of relief.

"What took you so long?" I quipped.

"The storm is getting worse by the minute. I don't think your friend is going to get away tonight." she motioned to Toothless.

I smiled as this was the longest amount of time that Toothless had ever bothered to stay in my company which was funny in a sense. It took a huge snow storm to get him to stay near me for longer than an hour or two. Astrid had a small bag and she was currently looking around the room.

"Here I'll put your stuff in my room for now. Its still a little early no need to turn in just yet. I need to let this day sink in first."

She nodded and handed me her bag and I walked up the stairs and set it just inside my doorway and then walked back down to see her sitting on the couch. She had her knees up against her chest and was staring intently at the blank screen of the TV. I stopped and watched her for a moment, something was definitely wrong with her and it seemed to have shaken her up quite a deal. With her to be this bad whatever it was was definitely not good.

"You alright?" I asked descending the last steps.

"Yeah just a little shaken up is all."

"Want to talk about it?"

"That man, Mandel, I've known him since I first picked my dragon and he has never acted like that. He was always a little weird but he never believed in the ancient blood magic or legends or any of that. What happened to him?"

"He's terrified." I sat down next to her, "Ever since that raid the city hasn't been the same. That place was the heart of the city, the last relic to the past. It got blown apart, and killed dozens. He's trying to piece it all together and it seems what he said about the Outcasts is true."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it, Dagur became chief and ever since then the Outcasts have had free rein in the city. You know where Dagur came from?"

"No."

"He was a Berserker, or at least his family was. Oswald the agreeable they called his father. he lead the Berserkers to take over three cities in ten years and it seemed no one could stop him. The gang looked to the son to take up the conquest but then Dagur became a police officer and when Oswald died the gang fell apart."

"You think Dagur sacrificed the Berserkers to keep the Outcasts safe?"

"It kept the FBI off of them and now they're so powerful that it doesn't matter anymore. Without my dad who is there to stop them?"

"You. If Mandel is right then you can stop them. I know you can, its in your blood. Your not the only family from Berk but you have protected this city for generations. I have faith in you. You are the smartest, most sarcastic person I have ever met."

I laughed lightly and leaned back on the couch. Astrid leaned back and rested her head on my shoulder and looked at my face.

"The only one who is holding you back now is you. I can help you but you need to let me first."

"How?"

She turned my face and kissed me. It was light but still held a lot of power behind it. I could tell she was putting a lot on the line and it made me freeze. I had no idea what to do next and just went on impulse and kissed her back with more force. Astrid had brought more out of me than any other person had ever in my entire life. When I pulled back I looked into her eyes and I could see the fear, dread, but also the excitement behind them. I brought her in for a deep long hug and just held her there simply needing the comfort of knowing someone was there to support me.

It was a feeling I had been lacking for nearly four years now and I felt so heart lifting that I just wanted to hold on and never let go.

"You have no idea how long I have been waiting for that." I said.

"Really? How long?" she asked.

"Ever since I met you. I never thought that it would come true. But I just need to take things slow, a lot is happening right now and need a while to process it all."

"So do you want me to leave?"

"Oh no your not leaving. You've invested to much into me to escape now. You got on the Hiccup train so now you are going to carry some of the baggage."

She laughed and I couldn't help but laugh along with her but it was ultimately cut short. As I remembered my mother again and the good times before she left and my face fell. Astrid noticed this and it cut her laughing short and she looked concerned at me.

"What's wrong Hiccup?"

"I just can't do this."

"Why?"

"It will end just like it did before and you'll leave and won't ever give a reason or even a hint as to why. It will leave me broken and my life will go back to where it was before."

"Hiccup you can't think that."

"I'm turning in for the night. There is a guest room down here so I get your stuff and set it down there, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

That is exactly what I did as I took her bag and set in her room and didn't say another word to her and shut my door behind me as I went to bed. Toothless was outside the door watching but staying mostly quiet and I appreciated that. I turned out my light and then just laid in my bed for a while staring at the ceiling. I thought about what I had just done which was pretty much turn a beautiful moment into something horrible. I don't know why I couldn't bring myself to trust her not to hurt me but I just couldn't.

I sighed and turned and look at my desk and the picture of me and my mother form when I was five. The picture was taken just before I went into the dragon choosing room and got totally rejected by everything and everyone. It was that day that everyone started to ignore me and made this day inevitable. I grabbed the picture and looked at it and smiled slightly thinking of the good old days before anything horrible happened to my family.

A tear rolled down my face and I set the picture back on the desk and looked out the window. The snow was coming down and the night was a grey from the clouds and the ground already had a layer of white down. I thought to myself what could have been if you stayed and then a few other questions popped into my mind. Where did you go and will my family ever be whole again?

With that I shut my eyes to the howling winds and started to drift off to sleep. The last thought I had was what could have been.

—

That morning I woke up and the sky was still dark and the snow was still coming down and the world was buried in snow. I got up and went to the door not to find a huge black dragon sleeping on the floor but I found Damian sleeping there.

"How did you get here?" I yelled.

He sat upright and looked at me not with his normal face of apathy but one of fear and panic.

"I can explain!" he said.

 **I've laid most of the ground work that I'm going to with the whole issue that is happening in Berk so its up to you to figure out what is going to happen next. I also thought that a little moment between Hiccup and Astrid was needed but its not** **permanent. I said I was going to go slow so even six chapters in now and its not enough for this to happen. Something world shaking is going to happen not only to Hiccup but to the whole city. So off to the dragon races we go, have fun guessing what's to happen. Enjoy and review. -starwarswiz**


	7. Chapter 7

"You better because it doesn't make any sense right now." I yelled.

"I know but I didn't mean for you to find out this way. It's so messed up." he groaned.

I grabbed his arm and pulled him into my room and then shut the door behind him. I stood by the door while he paced around the room and ran his hand through his black hair. I glared at him not giving him any headway because it was about time that he explained himself and all of his actions.

"Alright so I've known who you were before I ever met you or even arrived at Berk."

"Where are you from anyway?" I asked.

"I'm from way up north in the Arctic, it's where my species is from." he said.

"Your species?"

"Yeah, I'm Toothless. Its how scientists have never found a Night Fury before. We can transform into people and blend in, it's the best way to keep ourselves safe."

"Why would you need to keep yourselves safe?"

"Night Furies were the first dragons, we have been here since man first started to learn about fire. We guard you from anything that would bring you harm and push you to discover new things and better yourselves. There was one family that we gave our undisputed trust to, ones that would keep the peace between dragon and man but safeguard humanity. That family was yours. We trusted you above everyone else and your family has dragon blood in it, that's why no other dragon would hatch for you. All of them would have but that gives one person a lot of power so it only activates once you found me. Now you can control any dragon you want."

"This is a lot. But why us, why me?"

"We knew that your family was special. You most of all, your mother knew it. That's why she left, to find your Night Fury. Your family hasn't had a Night Fury in almost ten generations which is too long. You've seen what is happening to this city without your dad, it has to be put to an end and you are that end."

"Wait you said my mother knew, is that why she left?"

"Yes, it took her almost three years to find me and then get me here but she did it all for you. She saw what was happening long before anyone else and understood what needed to be done no matter how much it pained her."

"You talk like you know her. Is she still alive?"

"Yeah, she's actually that four winged vigilante you've been hearing about. She has wanted to see you for awhile but she wasn't until you found out about me. You need to trust me on this."

"How do I know you're not making any of this up?"

"By this."

He raised his arm and and a blue tattoo lit up his arm and it traced all the way to his shoulder. He then touched my arm and that same pattern suddenly light up my arm despite him dropping his arm. It soon faded and I looked back up at him with a quizzical look.

"Any rider can see the tattoo when interacting with their dragon. It tells them who they are attached to and who they belong to. Only the riders dragon can cause such a symbol to appear. That's my proof."

"This is a lot, but why didn't you tell me my mother was here? I trusted you and you held this away from me. I thought a rider and his dragon was to share everything, not keep vital life changing secrets from each other!" I yelled.

"I know it was wrong and I told your mother as such but she thought that this was the best course of action." he tried to defend.

"Do not bring my mother into this! You didn't have to listen to her. You had dozens of chances to tell me what was truly happening but you didn't trust me enough to tell me. I want you to go." I seethed.

He looked shocked to say the least but ultimately he hung his head in defeat and stalked away. There was no way he was going to get out of the house in this weather but at least I can have some time to process everything before he tries to fix what he's done. It's not something I plan on forgiving him easily as he has held this information from me for at least two months and I thought that my mother had been dead for four years. He wasn't done explaining but right now I needed space to figure out what to to do with not only him but Astrid too.

I hadn't seen her since last night and now I felt terrible for what I had done to her without any explanation and I needed to own that. I closed my door and went over to my window and looked out at the white world. It seemed so peaceful with all the undisturbed snow but it was the exact opposite into which I was feeling. I wanted a great deal of things but none of that was possible if what Damian said was true. I looked down at my arm again, I wondered if Astrid could confirm what he was saying about the symbol. If he wasn't then he could disregard everything else he said but if she was right.

I didn't want to think about this so I sat there for a long time watch the outside world which was very peaceful. I stared and stared but found no answers out there to my many questions. I got up and left the window and opened the door and went downstairs to eat something and when I walked into the kitchen Astrid was sitting on the couch watching TV. I quickly made a bowl of cereal and went over to her. If anything she deserved an apology and maybe we can repair some of the damage that I inflicted.

"Whatcha watchin?" I asked.

"Just the weather, were due for another round of snow later today." she said.

"As if we didn't have enough already."

She smiled at that and I sat down on the other end of the couch and quietly ate my breakfast not saying a word. Once finished I could feel the tension in the air as I walked over and put my bowl in the sink. This would not be a fun talk so I walked back over and stood staring for a second and then I moved.

"Astrid we need to talk." I said.

"No, you were pretty clear last night." she retorted.

"Well things have changed and I feel really bad for what I have done."

"I don't need this."

She started to get up but I stopped her and sat her down again. I turned off the TV and made her look at me.

"Look last night was a huge mistake that I own. I shouldn't have been so short sighted in what I did and Damian is here and helped work out what I did wrong."

"Damian? How did he get here?"

"It's a long story but the short version is he is apparently Toothless and has been the entire time. But that's not the point, he showed me that my mother never truly abandoned me. She was there the whole time and it changes everything."

"How so?"

"If she stayed with me for four years and helped me without me realizing it I think I can manage to hold onto a few things as well. You most of all."

"What are you saying Hiccup?"

"I'm trying to say very badly, that I want to try us. If you're willing I want to and see if we can work together. I need you Astrid, I can't do this alone anymore I need your help."

"Hiccup I don't know. I mean if you are truly honest and mean what you say then yes. I'll be willing to try."

What she said made me happier than any other moment in my entire life and I acted entirely on instinct. I grabbed her by the waist brought her close and then kissed her hard like my life depended on it. It made me even happier when she returned the kiss and held it there for a few moments. When I pulled away I had a huge grin on my face and she was smiling too and I felt like I was on a cloud. Someone started clapping and we both turned to see Damian, or rather Toothless, standing in the kitchen apparently having watched the entire thing.

"Finally you too got together. You may not realize this but a dragon is bound to its rider and I could hear all of your thoughts and it was painful to watch you reserve yourself. Sometimes I wanted to bang my head against a wall because of how frustrating it was." he said.

"Hey you don't get to judge you still have to make up for lying to me for two months. Besides it took a lot of courage to do something like this I'll have you know." I snapped back.

He simply laughed and shook his head and I looked back at Astrid who was holding a hand over her mouth trying not to laugh so much. I playfully shoved her and she only laughed more. Damian walked over and then stopped and I looked at him and then nodded.

"Astrid can you determine something for me?" I asked.

"Sure."

"Alright is this tattoo thing real?" I asked.

Damian touched my arm and it glowed blue and a similar mark lit up on his arm and Astrid's eyes grew in she shock.

"Hiccup this mark is something that is only rumored. Usually a rider and dragon have like a charm or some small mark on their skin but not this. You need to ask Dr. Mandel about this, he'll know." she said.

"Mandel is the last person I want to talk to right now." I said.

"I know you don't like him but I trust him and he's the best lead we have as to what is actually happening in Berk. Not to mention his facilities would be the perfect place to go to to train you for the races. You know the ones that start next week, that you promised you would join in." she said.

"I know what I promised it's just I really don't trust him but if you do that's enough for me. Why don't we head over there before the next round of snow hits and were trapped here." I said.

"Good." she smiled.

She left to go get ready and I looked back at Toothless and he simply shrugged and I walked up to my room to get ready myself. He followed and I smiled to myself at the fact that I finally know why my dragon kept disappearing and now he would stay by my side.

"So do you have to stay near me or something?" I asked.

"Yeah, staying away from your rider for long periods of time causes the dragon to have seriously discomfort and if long enough pain." he said.

"Explains a lot actually. You always seemed to hang around me for no apparent reason and needed your fix every night, that's why you came so often."

"That and your mom wanted to make sure that you were safe and alright."

"Will I ever get to meet her?"

"One day, but that is not today. She is very anxious to see you again after so long and I can only imagine what it feels like."

"Yeah."

I jumped in the shower while he waited in my room and looked around. It was fast and before long I was dressed and hanging out with Toothless in my room as he messed with all the little things.

"You do realize that this is where I'm going to have to stay from here on out." he said.

"Yeah, this will be fun to explain to my dad when he comes home."

"I think he'll actually be happy. That's just my opinion but your dad does care a great deal about you whether you realize it or not."

I only nodded not believing him at all. Toothless had been around for two months and it's not like he knew what it has been like for the past four years. Dad has been so distant for so long I simply accepted that this was the way it was always going to be. He ignored my existence and only paid attention whenever I got in trouble, which never happened, or I started the conversation which I gave up on a long time ago.

We both got downstairs and Astrid was already wrapped up and waiting to fly. She hid most of her face behind a scarf which was probably smart and I had more that enough to keep me warm.

"You ready?" I asked.

She nodded and then I looked to Toothless and he went outside while Astrid ran out back to grab Stormfly. When I got outside Toothless was already a dragon and ready to go and I could hear the beating of Stormfly's wings as she was already in the air. I jumped on and we quickly ascended into the air and flew off towards the city proper. Most of Berk was quiet and shut inside their homes but a few brave souls still stuck out the cold and were traveling around town for various reasons.

The huge dragon arena was busy with all the preparations of the upcoming tournament. But most of the city was silent as winter made its first hit in the season and left a impact. The hug dragon complex soon came into view and it seemed that winter had also hit this place as well. The lights around the building were off and the parking lot was almost completely vacant except for a few. Mandel must have seen us as the huge hangar doors opened on the top of the building and we took that as an open invitation.

In fact when we landed in the building Mandel was waiting by the railing smiling slightly but the rest of the room was completely empty. Once landed Mandel descended the steps and smiled warmly at us but there still seemed something off about him.

"Hiccup, Astrid so good to see you decided to see me again. I must say your choice of weather is not the greatest but it doesn't matter. All that matters is that you're here and we can begin to discuss." Mandel said.

"Where is everyone else?" I asked.

"Most stayed home for the fear of the weather but a few managed to make it here for the day. Now what can I do for you both."

"Hiccup here needs to train for the dragon races next week and you have the best place to help him understand Toothless and how to best ride." Astrid said.

"I'm flattered by what you say and it is true that we have to best way of helping you Hiccup. It will be very educational for the both of us and after the modifications I have made to the building it is the safest place in Berk." he said.

He motioned and we both began to walk with our dragons following and I looked back at Toothless and shrugged. He shook his head and we came to a smaller room that was circular which was probably designed to train dragons.

"Here is our training facility that you are welcomed to use. I do believe we have a good instructor for you Hiccup."

He motioned and sitting in the middle of the arena was a four winged dragon that was beyond a doubt Cloudjumper. Then she turned around and I was absolutely stunned and it seemed she was too.

"Mom?!"

 **So here is the next chapter with some really big reveals that some of you guessed a while back and now there out in the fray. Next is what is happening in Berk, what is the end game. Let's hope for the future and Hiccup makes it out alright. Enjoy and review. -starwarswiz**


	8. Chapter 8

"Mom?!" I yelled.

"Hi, honey it's so good to see you after so long." she said.

"What, why are you here?"

"Well Damian didn't return last night so I guessed that the deception was gone. I think it's time I told you everything but it needs to be just between you and me." she said.

"Ok." I said dumbfounded.

She motioned and I followed her and she led me to Mandel's office and she shut the door after I entered. I sat down and she pulled up a chair and grabbed my hand.

"I know you might be surprised that I came back and you have a lot of questions so all I want is you to ask."

"Where did you go?"

"I went all over the world looking. But ultimately I came back here and have been watching you for the past few months."

"What were you looking for?"

"Damian was what I was looking for. It took me a while to figure out where to find him but once I did it was easy. When I left I had figured out that the reason as to why you had no dragon was because you had the Haddock blood in you and only the best dragon could be yours. So I went to find him and bring him to you."

"You mean you figured all this by yourself?"

"No I talked to Dr. Mandel. He made me realize you were special and that I needed to go if you were ever to be that son I knew you could be. I'm sorry for all the pain i caused you and your father but I thought it was necessary if you were to ever become the person I knew you were."

"You're sorry that's it? You think that four years of pain and suffering for me can be fixed with a simple sorry. I was beaten, shamed, made fun of, and publicly humiliated so many times I lost count and you think that you can just come back and fix it so easily. No, you have to do a lot more if you think I'm just going to forgive you. My life has been a living hell for longer than you realize and you made it worse."

I stood up and went to the door and looked back seeing her almost to tears at what I said.

"Just leave me alone. If you really mean well go see dad in the hospital."

I slammed the door behind me and stormed back to the main area and saw Astrid look up at me. I kept my face neutral until I got down there and started to shed some tears. Mandel stood off to the side and Astrid looked extremely concerned at my actions.

"Thank you Dr. Mandel for your hospitality but I'm going to decline. Astrid let's go."

"Hiccup are you ok?" she asked.

"I said let's go." I snapped.

"No, if your going to be like this go by yourself. I'll see you later."

"Fine do whatever."

I leapt back onto Toothless and urged him up and he complied although reluctantly. We shot through the open doors and out into the cold air. Tears began to stream down my face and if it was from the cold or my hurt emotions I wouldn't know. The snow was coming down heavily and before long I was forced to land with Toothless and we began to walk down the streets in the downtown area.

A car came slowly down the road and I didn't pay it any mind but it slowed as it got close. Toothless suddenly began to growl and grow defensive though it was just an ordinary car so there was no reason to worry. At least until the car stopped and men began to pour out of it wielding guns.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"We want you and your dragon." a man said.

"Why, what is it to you. Who are you?"

"Why Hiccup I thought you would've known."

Two of the men pulled their masks off and one was Dagur undoubtedly and the other was the biggest criminal on this side of the country, Alvin. I backed up towards Toothless and he opened his mouth slightly and I could see a build up of purple as he prepared to fire. The men closed in on a circle and I prepared to run, fly, or get away any way I could.

"Torturing your dad was fun but capturing you is going to be icing on the cake." Dagur said.

"You won't get away with this." I said.

"Oh I already have. Capturing you is step one of our end game, and with you gone nothing will stop us. We will take over Berk and once that is over we'll move on. First though you need to go down, you present a real danger and need to be dealt with." he said.

"Then just kill me. If I'm such a danger wouldn't it be simple to just get rid of me?"

"Oh how naive you are Hiccup. You are the key to us taking over Berk and the rest of this area, it's in your blood."

He smiled and suddenly Toothless was writhing in pain as he was electrocuted into unconsciousness. Dagur came up and raised his gun and I felt a sickening crunch on my head and then everything went black.

\- Astrid -

Hiccup flew out into the cold air and I huffed and walked over to Mandel and he looked at me concerned. I shrugged and walked past him to his office where Hiccup's mother still sat staring at the doorway. She seemed a little shocked at Hiccup's reaction and while I was a little mad at his attitude I could understand why. I shut the door behind me and sat down across from her and she directed her attention to me and I took a moment to think of what I was going to say.

"Why was he so mad?" she asked.

"There is a lot that you don't know about Hiccup and it's going to take a lot if you intend to fix the mess you created." I said.

"What mess?"

"Really? Stoick became very violent and detached when you left and often took it out on Hiccup. Not only that but all the while he had to deal with the constant abuse of his classmates at school which was partly my fault but he had no one to turn to. He became so closed off and stopped interacting with everyone and I often wondered if there was something I could do. I was beginning to worry he was going to take drastic measures."

"I had no idea Damian never told me anything like this. He only said that Hiccup was shy and I assumed that was just him being his normal self."

"Two months is not enough time to truly understand Hiccup. It took me almost two years to figure out how horrible his life truly was and you want to know what finally got me to act?"

"What?"

"When Damian stopped Hiccup from being beat up and stabbed one day at school. You should've seen him, scared and barely conscious in the corner shying away from whatever he saw. That moment finally shook me into action and showed me the true nature of his life and that he needed help."

"Damian never told me this. I can only assume he was trying to spare me the pain but now I realized that if I want to know Hiccup I need to know everything. Not just the surface stuff that I'm told but actually work in his life."

"Yeah it won't be easy as it takes a lot to get Hiccup to do something but I know if you work hard enough he'll come around."

She smiled and I returned the smile and I thought that maybe Hiccup's life was going to get better from here on out. It faded as a small tremor shook the building and I stood up and left the room with Hiccup's mom following. Dr. Mandel came rushing over with two others tailing him and ushered us into the main cafeteria where the TVs were. They were already on and there was breaking news flash on the screen and a few people crowded around it.

"This just in," the TV said, "we have received reports of meor attacks by the Outcasts all across Berk. Tremors were detected a few minutes ago and were attributed to the destruction of the major bridges and junctions in and out of Berk. The city has been cut off from the surrounding areas and the suburban neighborhoods. Several emergency centers were also hit and the the city is now out of fire and medical services. Those on the outside of the city are instructed to stay away from the city limits as the Outcasts have cealed the city."

Shots of the attacks were shown with destroyed bridges and fire trucks from the surrounding towns trying to make their way to the scene. Other shots are of gangs of Outcasts taking over the streets and ceiling the city in. Fires raged in certain areas and a shot was shown of the police station as civilians had flooded its doors in need of safety.

"The Chief of Police, Dagur, will soon take the stage in an emergency press conference as we plead for federal aid. We are going to cut there now as he is preparing to talk."

The screen cut over the a stage and microphone with no one behind it at the moment and a large amount of people standing underneath it with cameras ready. Dagur then walked up and the flashing began as people waited to hear what his plan of action was.

"Ladies and gentlemen we are faced with a dilemma the likes this city has never seen before. With the destruction of our major infrastructure and emergency services the city itself will be left to fend for itself as we wait for outside help. The police will attempt to keep the order but we are currently stretched thin across the city in order to keep the Outcasts at bay. We also have to report that the Chief's son, Hiccup Haddock, has been kidnapped. Security footage came in a dn it shows Hiccup and his dragon being subdued and dragged away by five men. Their whereabouts are currently unknown so a priority search is being put in to find them.

We do not know the true scope of the Outcasts plan and where Hiccup fits in but it may seem Stoick is their target again. He currently remains in the local hospital but is awake and will leave in the next two days. While the situation worsens we are postponing the dragon races until further notice. Our sympathies go out to the Haddock family and know we are going to make all efforts to find Hiccup and bring him home safely. Thank you and goodnight."

Dagur stepped down and many people began to yell out asking questions and wanting answers. The screen the cut away and back to the reporter in the news station.

"The federal government has been notified and support will not arrive until next week. Berk for the moment is on its own so to all those watching right now get home and stay safe."

The screen went away and commercials came up and people began to file away from the screen and out to other places in the building. Mandel walked over and sat me down at a table.

"I knew this would happen. We need to protect the dragon riders, where are they?" he asked.

"They should be at school practicing right now. Why?"

"They are the next target. Whoever is behind this wants them so Hiccup can train them to his will and once that happens there will be no stopping them. Go and get them and bring them here, this building is the safest place in Berk now."

I nodded and stood up and ran back to where Stormfly was. She hopped up at seeing me and chirped and I grabbed a winter coat and threw it on. I hopped onto her back and was prepared to launch but Mandel stopped me.

"Remember bring them here. Don't stop for anything else, it's a race against time. The longer you wait the higher chance the Outcasts have of getting the dragons."

I took off and hovered and looked over to notice Hiccup's mom and her dragon both already in the sky. She nodded and we both launched into the cold Berk sky rocketing towards the school.

\- Hiccup -

I slowly opened my eyes to a very dimly lit room and me hanging from the ceiling. I looked around and saw Toothless on the floor unmoving and I was racked with worry and fear that he might be dead. My fear was abated when Toothless jerked and shifted slightly. I sighed and then looked around the rest of the room and it was completely bare except for a single door and a chair that was right in front of me. It was quiet and I wondered how long I had been stuck down here and it worried me that no one knew I was down here.

The door jerked open and one man walked in and rolled a cart in with various objects that were impossible to see in this light. The man stopped the cart next to the chair and then left the room with the door open and another man came in after him and then shut the door. He walked over and suddenly the lights came on and blinded me for a minute. The man turned out to be Dagur and my stomach immediately turned. On the cart was an assortment of knives, daggers, and saws that sent chills down my back.

"What do you want from me?" I asked.

"Oh a great deal of things but that will have to wait as we need to break you first. Once that happens I will be able to build you back up and use you. Now where will we start?" he said.

He ran his hands over the blades and then looked over at Toothless and got a very creepy smile on his face.

"Hurt me all you want just don't touch Toothless." I said.

"Oh I don't want to hurt the dragon. He needs to be kept strong if this is going to work, it's you that I can hurt."

He lifted up a small saw and held a knife in his other hand and placed it on his belt. I breathed in sharply and fear racked my body. I closed my eyes and bit my lip as I felt the cold blade make its first slice.

 **So with this chapter the story diverges into multiple views and will get crazy for a few chapters but I can assure you that eventually the story lines will fall** **back on each other. Now a few things happened in this chapter not only emotionally but also in the overall plot. I revealed part of the master plan and some of the players in this game and you may not be happy with how things seem to be going but buckle up cause its only going to get worse. Enjoy and review. -starwarswiz**


	9. Chapter 9

\- Astrid -

I landed with a few others in tow and the overhead doors immediately began to close above us and the cold winds were lowly cut off. Mandel ushered us inside and gave us all pens for our dragons and we agreed to meet in the cafeteria in a few minutes. He then left to go collect a few things and I ushered everyone into the room and we sat down. I had managed to grab Snotlout, Ruff and Tuff, Fishlegs, Heather, and Butch.

Butch was an odd one at that and normally didn't hang around many others but in this case he was needed as he was one of the best dragon riders at the school. Gobber had tagged along in hopes of finding Hiccup but there was more than just that, Gobber was at risk too. He was the only teacher at the high school who still kept his dragon and thought that they were needed in the world. I sat down at the table and quickly I was surrounded by my friends and bombarded with questions that were difficult to answer.

"Alright one at a time, I can't answer you all at the same time." I yelled.

They all stopped and then looked at each other wondering who would go first. It was Fishlegs who acted first.

"Astrid why are we here?" he asked.

"I can answer that." Dr. Mandel said walking up, "It's quite simple, it is to keep you all safe from those who would do you harm."

"Don't you think were capable of defending ourselves?" Snotlout said.

"In normal circumstances yes, but these aren't normal times. Hiccup has been taken and who knows what they plan to do next but you all are targets." Mandel said.

"Why are we targets, were just teenagers?" Fishlegs asked.

"You have trained dragons capable to fight so you are a threat. If you managed to rally around Hiccup you could stop everything they're trying to put in place. It is a long history of push and pull in this town but never have they gotten so far before. I fear that if we don't find Hiccup soon it will be too late to save Berk and we'll have to run."

"Why do we need Hiccup in the first place? What does he have that could possibly help all of us?" Snotlout said.

"For one, Hiccup's family has a long history here in Berk and there is a lot that you don't understand. Another is he had the only Night Fury in the world at the moment and even that is enough to level the playing field but what I'm most concerned about is what is in his blood."

"His blood?"

"Yes, in his blood is the capability to tame any dragon and bend it to his will if he chooses. There was only one other person in history with this gift. Ironically that man was the first Hiccup thousands of years ago that brought the peace of dragons to the world. So our first priority is to find Hiccup and bring him back."

"You guys are crazy, and this is stupid. I'm going home and you all can lose your minds together." Snotlout said.

He walked away and out of the cafeteria and the others looked at me. I sighed and got up to go get him before he could clear the building. When I got to the main hangar he was messing with Hookfang's saddle and mumbling something to himself angrily. I sighed again and walked over and he really didn't notice me for once so I touched his shoulder and at first he was extremely angry. But once he saw it was me his face relaxed and he turned back to what he was doing.

"What do you want?" he snapped.

"Why are you so mad? We need you Snotlout and you may not realize it but if you go back home there is a high likelihood you will die and there will be no one to help you." I said calmly.

"Well maybe I think this is stupid. Why should we go risk our necks for someone who doesn't matter when there are plenty of other things we can do?"

"I get it. You don't like the fact that Hiccup is all of a sudden really important." I said.

"Yeah but why do you care? I mean before this it seemed you hated him about just as much as anybody else." he countered.

"Well to be honest you were right but things change. Same with people, I mean I never knew anything about Hiccup and now I wonder how I'm going to function without him." I confessed.

"You know he loves you right." Snotlout said.

"What?" I said shocked.

"Yeah, I saw it a while ago. It's the main reason I was so mean to him. I saw what he wanted and though he never acted on it I never wanted him to."

"Why?"

"Because I knew if he did, he would win. I had feelings for you a long time ago but when I saw Hiccup I panicked. Everytime you would come and see you would have no reaction which made me madder. I guess my feelings died as I became consumed with keeping Hiccup away from you. I guess I'm sorry for all that."

I stared at him completely speechless. Snotlout had never been this open or this emotional ever in the years that I have known him. It made me sad that he could never have what he truly wanted but what he said shocked me most of all. How could Hiccup love me? For years I watched him get bullied and every now and then joined in. It was only recently that we made up for all those years and gave us a shot.

"How could you say he loves me?" I said quietly.

"Really you've never seen it? They way he always looked at you and all the things he did behind the scenes to be nice to you and treat you well."

"Like what?"

"Remember in middle school how you forgot your lunch a lot? Hiccup either gave you part of his even though he needed it or gave you his lunch money and skipped. Or how about helping you in dragon training, or letting you copy his homework. How he always helped you get home when you were left at school, how he always gave you a seat on the bus. I'm surprised you've never seen all of the things Hiccup has done for you."

"I just thought he was being nice, and nothing more. I never thought that there was anything behind it."

"Yeah, you were why he came to school day after day despite all of the bullying. He knew that if he put up with it for that day he would get to see you and maybe help you. It's infuriating really but also really sweet that he thought of you above himself."

"How did you know all of this?" I asked.

"Please I'm his cousin. We may not have the best of relationships but he still tells me everything and I listen. I'm not some cold hearted beast I actually do care about him."

I smiled at Snotlout's revelation and he looked at me for a second before he realized what he said. His face changed into a frown and he looked down for a moment.

"You will never tell anyone I said that." he demanded.

"Your secret is safe with me." I said.

He sighed and went back to working on the saddle but I stopped him.

"Why don't you hang around, we could really use your help."

"Alright, but as long as I don't have to do too much."

I laughed and nodded and smiled slightly and he took the saddle off Hookfang and set it on the floor. We walked back to the cafeteria and everyone was busy talking until Fishlegs spotted us. Everyone looked over and stopped whatever they were discussing and looked at us and I frowned at them and they looked away. We both sat down at the table and looked around but no one spoke.

"So what's the plan?" I asked.

"Well first we need to find Hiccup. There are only two known hiding places that the Outcasts have so they won't take him there and we can rule out any other place outside of the city limits. Especially since they closed off the city, we can also rule out this building and the other businesses." Mandel said.

"Great that leaves only a few hundred more places he could possibly be." Fishlegs said sarcastically.

"Don't sound so enthusiastic Fishlegs." I joked.

"Well first we'll divide and conquer. Teams of two, we'll scour the city looking for him. Each team will take a portion of the city. But for now we'll rest and begin either tomorrow or the day after. We can't wait any longer than that or risk losing him forever."

Mandel nodded and then left the room in a hurry and we talked for a little while longer before we all turned in for the night. I was exhausted at all of the things that I had done this day which were many. I was not only physically tired but I was also emotionally tired despite not having done much in that respect. I guess the talk I had with Snotlout was emotionally tiring but also the revelations that I made today. I realized a great deal, mostly in regards to how I felt towards Hiccup.

I walked into my room and then shut the door behind me and quickly changed into pajamas and crawled into bed. I thought about what Snotlout had told me. I never knew that Hiccup had done some many things for me over the years and I blew it off as if it was nothing special. To him it was everything and I must have hurt him every time I blew him off and that made me feel bad about myself. I came to realize that I was falling hard for Hiccup.

\- Hiccup -

I woke slowly to people talking. It was still dark in the room I was kept in and the dull throb of pain was there as always. It seemed like it had been a millennium since I was put in here but that was probably because I had passed out for a long time. I looked down at myself and saw the bandage around what remained of my left leg and it was red with blood. It still shook me every time I looked at it but I just had to deal with it. The leg was the first thing that Dagur had taken and I was sure it wouldn't be the last.

I hadn't seen Toothless since I arrived at wherever I was but that didn't matter. All I thought about was staying sane and strong against whatever that wanted from me. He kept going on about something in my blood and how that all I needed to do was accept who I was and then they would let me go. I was smart enough to realize that was completely false and that there was something far worse going on and I was also smart enough to realize that I was not getting out of here by myself.

In between what they called lessons, they were really torture sessions, I was free to do whatever as long as I never left my cell or talked to any of the guards. I chose to spend that time fortifying my mental defense for their attacks on it and reminding myself of who I was and what that meant. Dagur would always hit on that for some reason and it never worked and it only drove him further and to beat me further. It was a rough existence but I had managed to survive three of them so far so that had to be something.

But I knew I wouldn't hold out forever as every time he did his thing a piece of me was chipped away each time. I was less each time and it was harder to resist and I knew that before long I would finally break and there would be nothing left of me after that but I could only hope someone would come and get me before that happened. I leaned back against the wall and shut my eyes as a flash of pain went up my leg and I winced. It still hurt like hell but it was much better than it was before.

I had looked at it every now and then and I realized that if I held out long enough I would either be rescued or killed by the infection my leg was suffering from. It had reached my waist now and soon would be all over my body slowly killing me but I hoped that it wouldn't come to that. Dagur never noticed and I don't think he cared because he was sure he could get what he wanted out of me before I died and once I did it wouldn't matter. He would have what he wanted and I would be a threat again and it would be useful for me to die.

The door burst open and I opened my eyes and looked at who it was and to no surprise it was Dagur and his assistant who always helped out with his little lessons. I stood and I was placed into my chains once again and strapped to the ceiling and I hung there like a gigantic pinata. Dagur smiled and got a very small and thin knife and twirled it around for the moment. He then looked at me.

"How are you today my dear Hiccup?" he asked.

"Fine, although I am saying the food is a little sparse." I quipped.

"That's good to hear. Now who are you?"

"Hiccup Haddock, only son of Stoick and Valka Haddock." I stated.

"Now when are you going to realize that is not the answer I was looking for."

He leaned in and looked over my body and then made a small slice across my forearm. It didn't hurt that much all it did was cause a small amount of pain but it bleed a lot. Dagur then walked back to his assistant and took up a long needle and walked back over and stuck it inside the wound and that is when it began to hurt.

"Who are you?" he asked again.

"Hiccup Haddock."

"Yes, but what more?"

"I have a dragon named Toothless. I have a girlfriend named Astrid."

"You're on the right track now let's talk about Toothless."

"No."

"Oh that is not an acceptable response."

He drove the needle further in and I groaned in pain as it sent sharp knives up my arm and down my back. He then pulled the needle out and went back over to his bench and picked up his saw that he had used on my leg earlier. He smiled and that sent chills down my back as I was about to lose another limb if I didn't cooperate. I knew I couldn't give in but losing an arm would be too much for me to handle.

"Now tell me about Toothless or you're going to lose that arm, and this time I won't be quick." he said.

I breathed in as he laid the blade down on my arm and he looked at me as if he was expecting me to give in. I drew in a sharp breath and readied myself for the pain I would inflict upon myself. I opened my mouth but before anything could come out the door to the room busted open and two men walked in.

"What? I'm busy." Dagur snapped.

"Sir, it's the police. Stoick has woken up and intends to return tomorrow and search for his son. We run the risk of losing our hold on the police."

"It doesn't matter. By the end of the week the police will be gone and the city will be ours. But I can see this is a serious matter, c'mon. We'll finish this later Hiccup, think about what I asked."

Dagur left with the two men and shut the door behind him. His assistant was still in the room and he walked over and let me down and quickly looked over the wound on my arm that was bleeding seriously. He quickly brought out medical supplies and very carefully sewed up my arm and then bandaged it. Before he could leave I caught his arm and he looked at me.

"I would thank you but I don't know your name." I said.

"It's forbidden for me to talk to you." he said.

"Who's going to know?" I countered.

"Fine. The names Jack Frost."

"You look young to be with these kind of people." I said.

"Well I'm also a hostage and have been for almost a year now."

He pulled back the hood on his jacket to reveal bright white hair and blue eyes. He looked really thin and weak but that is probably from being a prisoner for a year here.

"Well it was nice meeting you and if I ever get out of here you're coming with me." I said.

He smiled and then grabbed the cart and left me alone in the dark room again. I layed down on the bed and started to close my eyes but a thought crossed my mind before I did. If he's been here so long he knows how to get out, and if I get out I can get back to Astrid.

 **So here is a** **little** **for those who feel the Hiccup and Astrid portion has been lacking. I'm glad that both of them still hold out hope for each other despite their horrible situations. Now Hiccup won't stay locked up forever he's going to get out and then the story will enter endgame. Enjoy and review. -starwarswiz**


	10. Chapter 10

Jack had left after Dagur came back and whatever Dagur had planned he had completely forgotten about it as he beat me senseless. He did cut or saw anything, he merely swung at me until he was too tired to continue and then left with an angry huff. Jack hurried back in and let me down and laid me down on the bed and after that I went unconscious but I knew I would survive.

When I woke up Jack was in the room waiting by his little cart watching me and I every so slightly moved. He stood up and walked over and I began to sit up and he helped despite the roaring headache I got from that small movement. He gave me a cup of water and something small to nibble on and then remained silent as I slowly gathered my wits.

"What happened?" I croaked.

"You were out for nearly five hours. Dagur sure put the hurt on. He opened up your stitches and gave you a few lacerations but nothing too serious. Though you'll want to lay down for a while before you go about thinking or doing anything." Jack said.

"Have you found any ways to get out?" I asked.

"I managed to get a message to a friend who will go get your friends and help bust us out. However that will take some time."

"Why?"

"Dagur was relieved of the force, and then Stoick found a huge hideout of the Outcasts and took dozens into custody. This apparently set Dagur back weeks and was so angry he forgot everything else he was going to do. Your lucky that he did."

"That's my dad, but why can't we escape?"

"Dagur put on twice the security while the group recovers. He won't let his prize possessions disappear that easily."

"Didn't know he cared so much." I quipped.

We shared a little laughter which was nice after all of the suffering I had endured over the last few days. It died quickly and Jack bade Hiccup farewell and then left quickly. Hiccup then slowly stood despite all the protests his head and body threw at him and walked over to the little sink he now apparently had. He looked around and noticed that the room he was in was different as it had a mirror a sink and toilet. Not to mention a nicer bed that he now had.

Jack only stayed for a few more minutes and then left quickly as Dagur would suspect something if he had suddenly disappeared. I was a little sad that he had to leave as he was the only friend I had in this hell hole. I sat down on my bed and sat waiting for whatever was to come next as it was mostly likely going to be horrific for him and have a great deal of pain. I hoped that whatever message Jack got out was enough to entice my friends to come and find me. Well I was more hopeful that Astrid would come as he missed her the most of all.

I heard a door swing open and shut and then a pair of footsteps moving quickly down the hallway and were getting louder. I stood and braced myself for the possibility that it was Dagur and he finally remembered he was going to cut off my arm before he left. The footsteps stopped at my door and keys were shook and the lock undone. To my surprise it wasn't Dagur, it was Jack and some huge guy and they quickly shut the door behind them.

"Jack, what's going on and who is this?" I asked.

"This is North and were busting you out now. Dagur isn't here and only a skeleton crew is left here, if we're going to escape it's now." Jack said.

"Do you have a plan?"

"Yes now let's go."

We all charged out of the door and I was completely at their mercy as I had never been out of my room. We ran down a hallway and came to a series of doors and just charged right through them. I could tell we were going up as each level had a different atmosphere and slowly but surely we made our way out of the prison. Once on the highest level, which was also the level that lead outside, we encountered a few guards and a huge cage off in the corner. In that cage was Toothless, or rather Damian as he was in his human form.

When we started to run again, they ran and I hopped with the support of Jack. We stopped just short of the doors and I could hear the guards talking amongst themselves completely unaware of their presence.

"So when the guard change begins in a few minutes we bolt for the door." Jack said.

"Wait no, we need to get Toothless or he'll suffer more than necessary and I'm not about ready to abandon them." I said.

"Why does it matter we have to leave now."

"Fine you go and I'll get Toothless."

He huffed and as I moved over to Toothless' cage he followed albeit reluctantly. Toothless was lying in the center of the cage with a blank expression looking at the floor. His face was haunted and sunken in with dark circles around his eyes. His body was covered in small cuts and bruises but nothing was major or life threatening. I knocked on the cage and he slowly lifted his gaze and if he recognized me at all he didn't show.

"C'mon Toothless I'm here to get you out of here." I whispered.

"No, tell him that you couldn't save me, that I wouldn't go." He said.

"It's not a trick, now c'mon."

I started to work with the lock on his cage, it was simple really. A rusted iron lock, that was an old model and could be unlocked without having to work the lock itself. After a minute of fiddling I heard a click and the lock came loose. I set it down and opened the door quietly and moved in and dragged Toothless off the ground and out of his cell. He remained silent but relied on me for support as his legs were a bloody mess and most likely painful to walk upon. Jack appeared and we both dragged Toothless towards the door. North was gone and the door was wide open and the light from the outside was pouring in.

As we were exiting the compound the alarm went up and men came scrambling out of nowhere and immediately opened fire. Bullets began to ping off of walls and through the doorway. I could here them fly by and then we made it out onto the street and I discovered we were on the outskirts of the city but I knew we could make it to the dragon center if we moved quickly. The outside was nearly blinding as the streets were covered in snow and the sun was out. More men followed us and were shouting but I was completely focused on making it out.

Damian threw his arm back and a plasma bolt shot from his arm and into the doorway exploding somewhere inside and causing a great deal of screams. A sudden pain ripped through my stomach and I stumbled and fell into the snow. When I lifted myself up a red spot had formed underneath me and I looked down to see blood coming from my stomach. Jack came over and helped me up and Toothless held off the men who were running towards us. He shot another bolt which would have been amazing if I wasn't in serious pain.

We got running again and then I was shoved down again and pain rocked through my shoulder and my guess was I got shot in the shoulder as well. I heard shouts across the street and more gunfire but I couldn't tell where it was coming from as I was bleeding out into the snow. The last thing I saw was Jack watching me with worry and Toothless yelling at someone and then black.

\- Astrid -

I woke up rather reluctantly to a new day but I realized that the snow storm had stopped and the sky had cleared. I walked out and said good morning to Stormfly and spotted a few others crawling out of their rooms and moving towards the cafeteria for breakfast. After making sure Stormfly had her fill I walked to the cafeteria to grab a small breakfast myself. Fishlegs was already there but Snotlout was nowhere to be seen as were the twins. I hadn't even seen Butch since last night and I suspected that he must of left to go home seeing that we were all crazy.

I sat down and ate in relative silence until the twins came in bickering and Snotlout trotted in behind them. They all ate and we waited for Mandel to talk strategy on how to find Hiccup. Mandel soon arrived a few minutes later looking rather worried but he remained silent. I gave him a questioning look and he either didn't see it or ignored it entirely. He sat down and we all stopped talking and looked at him waiting for him to begin.

"We received a message, from Hiccup." he said.

"Hiccup? Where is he, and how did he get a message?" I asked.

"I don't know how but he did and he's being held by Dagur surrounded by Outcasts. Even if we wanted to save him we wouldn't be able to. He's lost."

"No, there has to be a way. We can't just give up like this." I said.

"I know you still hold hope but it's impossible."

"How so?" Snotlout said.

"The building has several floors underneath it with hundreds of guards. If we somehow managed to make it past the first floor guards we would have to check at least five other floors all the while being fired at. There would be no way to get in and out without losing someone."

"I can't believe you would just give up on him like that." I yelled.

"I'm not giving up on him. I just don't see how we can help him in any way."

I turned and stormed out of the cafeteria and went to the main hangar and grabbed the practice axe they had in their. They kept old weapons for better training with close up combat for troops visiting the area. It was cold to the touch and I entered the virtual reality and began the hardest setting in their. I usually vented my anger by going somewhere and beating something up but this was too much to take. As the program began I took on person after person and my rage only grew with each passing second.

Soon tears began to stream down my face and began to blur my vision making the fighting harder and harder. Eventually the simulation ended and I collapsed down into a hot mess of tears and sat on the floor in a ball crying until I couldn't anymore. I just sat on the floor as the fact that Hiccup was most likely dead now and there was nothing we could do to try and save him or even help him at all. I heard the doors to the room open again and I ignored whoever came in and continued to stare at the floor.

"Astrid?" said Snotlout.

He was standing at the doors with his arms crossed and he was watching me intently. I looked away and sighed deeply.

"What do you want Snotlout?" I asked quietly.

"You can tell me that you really aren't giving up this easily?" He said.

"You heard Mandel, there isn't a way to help so we might as well."

"If there is one thing I know about you is that you don't give up, ever. So you saying that you are is like me saying I'm ugly."

I laughed at his apparent confidence this was how he usually was although he was little more forward at it. I guess this whole situation has sobered his attitude somewhat.

"You need to keep fighting for Hiccup even if all seems lost. You of all people should know that Hiccup won't give up and he'll think of a way to get out, he's one of the smartest people I know."

"One of the smartest?"

"Ok, the smartest but still, he won't let a few chains stop him."

"I guess you're right. But where do we start?"

"We start by first making sure he's still alive and then it's up in the air."

I stood and strode over and placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him. This new Snotlout was actually someone to take seriously and maybe would actually help Hiccup for once instead of trying to hurt him. I set the axe down and shut off the simulation and then walked back to the main hangar where most everyone was milling about trying to keep themselves occupied. Mandel watched all of it while listening to someone beside him and every now and then he nodded.

I descended and went to Stormfly who nudged me when I got close and my mood lightened a little bit. Fishlegs walked over and waited for a moment and seemed as if he wasn't going to say anything but then got the confidence.

"Hey since the snow stopped today might be a good day to go flying. We may not get another chance light this with winter now here." he said.

"Yeah, it would be good to get out of this place for a little while. I'll tell Mandel and you get the others ready and we'll go flying around the city."

He nodded and walked over to where the others were staying and the man Mandel was listening to was gone and he now stared down at us. He nodded as if he understood and then walked over to the control panel and opened the hangar doors to let us out. I smiled and went over to Stormfly where I quickly mounted and watched as the others got ready and then nodded once they were. I patted her side and launched into the air with the others close behind.

We flew over the city and out towards the suburbs that were separated from the city proper. We flew over housed just covered in snow and very few streets had been plowed and no one was outside in the cold. We continued until I started to recognize some of the houses and then saw Hiccup's which hasn't been occupied in nearly a week but looked the same as it always did. The school was off in the distance and it was empty with snow blocking all of the roads and a pang of nostalgia hit me of the good old days before all this craziness happened.

We turned and began to soar over the forests that flanked Berk on almost every single side. They were quiet and snow covered and a sense of calm overtook me and it felt good. This flight was definitely something that I needed and it was doing good for everyone to get out and not be cramped up in the building for hours on end. I looked back over to the city and it seemed calm enough but then some haze on the far side came into view.

At first it looked like nothing but I kept looking back over to it and then I realized that it wasn't haze at all it was smoke. I immediately turned towards it and the others followed without much alarm and it seemed that they understood where we were going. It was a short flight but as we got closer the smoke got worse and you could start to hear gunfire. The fight came into view and it seemed the police were going toe to toe with the Outcasts. But what really got my attention were the teenagers staggering away from the fight.

One was wearing a blue hoodie and had bright white hair and was helping another guy with one leg and auburn hair. Hiccup had auburn hair but never one leg but the more I looked the more convinced I was. Then the third boy who had black hair and very dark colored skin turned and threw a plasma bolt at them destroying the wall behind them. Only Toothless was capable of doing that and he was always with Hiccup and that meant the boy with one leg was Hiccup.

I quickly motioned and we descended and the dragons fired onto the Outcasts and many of them were caught in the fires and began to burn. Hiccup stumbled and fell and I could see him bleeding in the snow and quickly I moved and the Outcasts were retreating back into their stronghold. We landed and while the police gave chase to the remaining Outlaws I looked down to see Hiccup having four bullet wounds and bleeding out into the snow.

 **So there is a reason as to why this chapter took so long is I was in a reading kick and read the entire Eragon series in a month and now that I'm done I can refocus and start writing again. So this chapter may not be as long as you wanted but mostly this chapter was to get Hiccup out of prison and set up some major events to come. Also this story will be coming to an end here soon but first were going to get over a few major humps and smooth out the story to get a thrilling end. Enjoy and review. -starwarswiz**


	11. Chapter 11

\- Hiccup -

It was dark and quiet, yet not peaceful at all. I saw only flashes of light before slipping back into darkness. Fire, then men standing over men, then a white room, then voices and I was moving before it all fell to black again. I wondered if this was what death was like, nothing but utter blackness for all eternity and all those things people believed in weren't true. It was a very dark thought but then again I may actually be dead. It took me a while but eventually I realized I wasn't dead after all.

There was a faint steady beat in the background which assured me I wasn't gone. Then voices began to filter in but at first they were so muffled I couldn't tell who or what they were saying. Eventually it grew quiet again and that meant that whoever was in the room had left for some reason. Then the room grew very quiet and for a while the only thing that I could hear was the steady beeping noise in the background. Eventually I heard a door open and close and then someone sit down next to me and sigh deeply. They than began to move around and I couldn't tell what they were doing but then a voice as clear as day broke through.

"My boy, you sure scared us. I wonder if you have been like this for a while, but I will never know unless you wake up. Your father always knew you were strong even if he didn't show it. When you were just over a year old you came down with the flu and you suffered and I watched over you night after night listening to your ragged breathing. I asked your father if you would ever get better and he said without a doubt you would. He never doubted that you were strong and that you could pull through and you did."

Silence followed and I wished I could just reach out and comfort her but I had no control of any part of my body except for my ears. What I heard next was a few muffled sobs and it pained me just to lay there waiting for something to happen but nothing did. Eventually the sobbing stopped and there was silence again and it lasted so long that it began to pain me that I couldn't hear anyone anymore.

"There's something you need to know about your father." she said, "He went with the men to go and find you and when that fire fight broke out where you escaped he was taken from us. Shot twice in the chest with one of the bullets going straight through his heart and he died a few minutes after. I just wanted you to know that even if you can't hear me, but I want only one thing. Don't give up, come back."

I heard a chair scrape against the floor, a few footsteps and then a door opening and closing. I was alone again I guessed and the fact that my father was gone was hard to believe and I knew I should have a major reaction but the thing was I couldn't. My mind was so far away from the rest of my body that anything that anyone said would have no affect until I came out of this coma. My assumption that I was alone was quickly debunked when I heard someone cough near me.

"Hey, its Jack. I somehow managed to make it out unscathed but I was the luckiest. I saw what had happened to Toothless and it was major. The destroyed the replacement tail you made and then just lashed him over and over again. He's covered in so many cuts its unbelievable. I also talked to the doctors about you, and it's not looking good. Your infection has claimed almost your entire right side and the blood loss you suffered isn't helping.

Basically what I'm saying is whether or not you pull through is entirely up to you. They were going to put you in a coma before but you fell into one after surgery and if you don't wake up in a few days they're going to consider terminating your life support. I sound crazy but there is a reason why I helped you. Those Bewilderbeasts that the feds sent, well I'm one of them and before I got recalled I transformed and stayed knowing that you were here and every dragon owes fealty to you. Weird to admit that but it's true, ask Toothless when you wake up and he'll tell you the truth. Besides Night Furies aren't the only kind of dragons that can transform. But I'm rambling and I promised Toothless that I would tell you he's fine and hopes you recover just as quickly. I'll be guarding the door if you decide to wake up."

I heard him get up and exit the room. I knew Toothless was hurt but I had no idea to what extent. It also saddens me that they destroyed the tail as that had been the first real thing I did for him and how I earned his trust and admiration. Of course he was my dragon to begin with anyway but you still need to earn their undying loyalty if you're going to have any success with them at all. The realization of everything began to weigh heavy on my heart and this time I truly felt sad and shocked at my father's apparent death.

He had always been there no matter what and I assumed that he would always be as nothing could ever take him down. Now how do I live up to him someone so great, so caring, so selfless. I had no idea whether I was crying but it felt like I was tearing apart from the inside out and that's when the first glimmer appeared. I had already seen it just after I passed out in the snow and I stayed away from it terrified of what it was but now I understood what it was. It was the path to the next life, it was the doorway to death.

I walked away from it yet not quite ready to let go as there was still someone I had to live for. She hadn't come yet but I knew she would, she always would. Even if for years she never even knew of my existence that still didn't shake my beliefs about her. I heard the door opening again and hoped it was her but to my disappointment it wasn't.

"Hello Hiccup, I'm nurse Hofferson, Astrid's mother. You scared all of us and you seem to be stable but you're strong, I've seen people survive worse. You just get your rest and whenever you feel like waking up just concentrate of moving and focus with all your might and you will."

She left but the door didn't shut as quickly as before and that meant someone else came in just as she was leaving. The door closed and whoever it was didn't walk over and immediately start talking like all the others. This person sat quietly and then I could hear the ruffle of sheets which meant that they were touching me yet I couldn't feel a thing. It was silent for what felt like hours but was probably only a few minutes.

"It's me, Astrid. I wanted to come in last," she paused, "I have a hard time saying things especially in these circumstances. My uncle died and this feels all too similar to that so it's hard to come to grips that you are on the edge. I don't know if you can hear me of not Hiccup but I need to say this now."

It was quiet for a minute as she built up the courage to say whatever was on her mind. It pained me to be only able to sit here and not being able to respond and just take it all in. The light was back but it was only a dim speck far off in the distance so I had time.

" I love you." she said, "It took me a while to realize it but Snotlout told me of all the things you had done for me over the years and with your capture it all starting falling in like puzzle pieces. I found you in the snow bleeding out and that's when it hit me full in the face. I screamed your name and shook you until the others pried me off and rushed you to here. I had never felt anything like that before and probably won't ever again.

You mean so much to me and I couldn't and will not bear the thought of losing you so easily and quickly after I finally own up to my feelings. Toothless talked to me a little bit ago and is aching to see you but he's still laying in bed while they make the last check to make sure he's fine. The crazy thing is he can't leave. He's your dragon and only you have the authority to release him which is really ironic. Not that he would leave anyway if he could, once he commits there's no stopping him.

I'm not leaving either. You lost your dad, even if you don't know it yet, and you need the ones that love you to stay until you wake up. I just need you to wake up, not just for me but for your mother, for Gobber, for Toothless, and for everyone. All I need is you to tell me you're still in there."

I tried with all my might to fight my way to move just one of my fingers but the light was growing and I feared that it would take me before I could do anything. Me concentrating must of worked as I was suddenly thrown into a world of senses. I could see the room lights and Astrid sitting next to me. I could feel her hand holding onto mine for dear life. My eyes opened and I looked over and her and shock was apparent on her face and I lifted my hand and placed it on the side of her face and gently stroked her cheek.

I built up the words in my throat but I could tell that the light was not giving in as it was starting to eliminate the senses I had just gained back.

"I love you too." I croaked.

My hand slipped back down to the bed and my eyes began to shut. Astrid was yelling my name but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't win so I gave up. I let death take me wherever it was you go. The last thing I heard was Astrid screaming and the heart monitor playing out a single tone for my stopped heart and then everything was gone.

 **So that just happened. I know it was a short** **chapter** **but I meant it to be that way. I knew I was going to do this at least three chapters ago so sorry that there was no waring other than the fight last chapter. The next chapter will be about one person and one person only but you'll have to wait and see who that is. Sorry if I broke your hearts with such a depressing chapter but things have to get worse before they even can try and get better. Enjoy and review. -starwarswiz**


	12. Chapter 12

At first I could't see anything but eventually things started to come into focus and I realized that I was just outside my house. It was the only thing there and looked as if it was in the height of summer with green grass and blooming flowers all around the front of it and a car even sat in the driveway. I walked up to the door and noticed that the light in the house was on and so I hesitated at opening the door but eventually I swallowed my fear and opened that door to a quiet house. Nothing was out of place and it seemed like it was just normal as everything in the house was where it was suppose to be but something wasn't right.

I thought I had died so this wasn't possible at all but I pushed it aside clinging to the hope that maybe that I had somehow escaped that horrible fate and everything was right with the world but I was just fooling myself. I walked around the kitchen and no one was there so I moved to the family room and found my father sitting on the couch looking over the fireplace with a stern look but he shifted when I walked in.

"I see you finally came." he said.

"Didn't know I was expected." I said.

"Please I always get what I want, eventually." a new voice said.

A new man appeared, well not really a man more like teenager. He was pale with dark chocolate eyes and black hair and he was dressed in emo clothing and carried a black sword that seemed to pull in the light around it.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Well I'm called many things, an angel, a demon, peace, fear, darkness, the unknown, and many more. Right now you can call me Nico."

"So I'm assuming your Death, right?"

"Yeah, I have been for a long time."

"So I guess this is it? No turning back?"

"For your father no, I allowed him to stay so he could say goodbye, but you have a choice."

"What do you mean?"

"There are far more forces at work here than you could possibly comprehend so its best that I not try and explain it to you."

"Alright so what are my choices?"

"Well you can come with us and enjoy the rest of eternity in peace or you can go back to your friends and loved ones and try and scrape together the mess the world has become."

"Quite a decision. Mind if I take a little bit?"

"Not at all, here time has no meaning."

He stepped out into the kitchen and I sat down next to my father and we remained silent for a little while. He continued to look at the fire with intensity until I noticed his expression softened and he sighed deeply. He turned slightly and gave me a side glance before returning got the fire.

"I'm sorry." he said.

"Sorry? For what?"

"Everything. Everything, that I did or didn't do. I was a horrible father and I realize that now and there is very little I can do to change that. I just wanted to say that I still love you and I'm proud of what you've done despite what has happened."

"You know I always held out hope that one day you would apologize but I supposed I would never see that until the day I died. Guess I was right."

"You don't have to be right though. You have a chance at a better life now. I'm done with the old life and I'm ready for peace after all the years. But you, I want you to fight as long as you can. Don't give up like I did, don't fail like I have."

"You didn't fail though, I got out though not unscathed. But I don't know if I can fight anymore, I've seen what were up against and it scared me like nothing else. How can I fight when I can't even defend myself?"

"You know that is always the biggest fear that any officer faces. How can we protect so many people when we can't even protect each other? Well there's no easy answer but you still fight because if you didn't those that you are trying to protect would suffer and die without any hope. Become hope regardless if you survive or not, if you become hope then you will live on."

"You make it sound so easy."

"Well its not. You may lose people you love, places you thought were safe and be put in a place were all hope seems gone but never ever give up. You are my son, I know you can win."

I looked down and my father simply pulled me in for a hug and I felt a tear go down my face and then I let the dam go. I broke down into simple sobs of years of pain came rolling out now that I knew that I could show a little weakness. This was what I wanted after so may years but he refused to give it. This hurt more than anything else that now after everything he was finally giving him what he wanted but it wouldn't last as his time was fast approaching and soon Nico would come back to guide him on.

I pulled myself back and smiled up and him and for probably the first time in many years he smiled back with actual warmth. I felt a few tears still on my face but I didn't care, the tears were worth all of this.

"Tell your mother that I'm happy she came back, she was truly something special and I will never forget her. Tell her she still looks just as beautiful as the day I lost her. Gobber will understand but I don't want him sot shy away from helping you so don't let him get lazy."

Fresh tears began goo down as I realized he was actually saying goodbye for real and this was most likely the last time I would be able to see him. It pained me so much that he had to tell me what to say and that he never got to say them himself. I clung to his arm with a tight grip but he didn't complain and simply laid a hand overtop.

"And that dragon of yours is something special, tell him that if he fails to protect you I will come back and kill him myself."

I laughed that he was threatening Toothless even though he was a dragon. Though I didn't doubt him if he actually tried to kill him, even beyond the grave. He paused and I knew this was the the last good bye but I didn't want it to be.

"That Astrid. She is sure something fierce and I'm glad you finally got her. For years I waited for the day it would finally happen and boy did it. Whatever your plans are for the future she will need to be apart of it all. Even if things don't end right and happy keep her safe and have her as a close friend. The world is a lonely place without them."

Nico walked in and we both looked at him and he nodded and my dad stood and this was the signal for him to leave. I stood with him and hugged him with all my heart as it was torn in two but I was glad I could say goodbye.

"And to you my son, fight hard. Stay strong, and never give up. You are my proudest accomplishment and nothing is ever going to change that. I love you."

He released me and walked to the front door and I watched him go. Nico opened the door for him and motioned for him to walk through and for a second he paused. He turned back and smiled at me before stepping though and the door shut behind him. Nico walked over and sat down on the couch and hung his head for a moment and I joined him.

For a while we remained silent but it wasn't uncomfortable. There seemed to be a silent understanding between the two of us that was rarely achieved in such s=circumstances but I was glad he could understand.

"These never get easier." he said.

"What don't?" I asked.

"These goodbyes. You have to understand I've been around for a long time and usually these deaths don't faze me much but on rare occasions you get these. Two people who have suffered so much but yet in the end still love and care even in the face of death."

"Then why did you let him stay?"

"Just because I'm death doesn't mean I hate the living. Actually I admire them. The dead have no drive, no real emotion anymore as they are going to remain this way for all eternity. The living have so much in them that its impossible not to admire them. You all have so much heart and drive that we immortals envy you. Without death we don't understand what its like to drive for something, to keep moving while you still have time."

"Then does that mean you guys never come down from your lofty seats?"

"Don't be harsh. I'm one of the most active. I like to just walk the earth for a few years and enjoy what you all have created but eventually I have to go back. The others are much less willing to interfere. Some are scared of what they might do, others don't care, but others try but fail. Its very disheartening when you see all your efforts turn to dust."

"Then don't let them."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't sit back and watch. Try, and fight until you can't anymore. Even you have limits but you have no idea how much the world needs your help. When was the last time any of you came down and helped the world?"

"At the end of the second world war."

"See, over seventy years have past and none of you have lifted a finger to help. How much do we have to suffer before we matter?"

For a second I had thought that I had over spoken because Nico's face became very serious and cross. I completely forgot that he was literally death and could do some serious harm if I wasn't careful. He then turned and muttered something intelligible and a silver skull ring appeared. The eyes had two small stones of obsidian and he grabbed the ring and handed it to me. I took and looked it over and then looked at him confused.

"What am I suppose to do with the ring?"

"Wear it. I can't come to your world without an anchor. With you wearing it I can."

"Oh, aren't you going to go get more to come?"

"I suppose I could ask Percy or Jason but that will take time and a lot of begging to get them to move their asses to do anything. Just keep that ring and I'll find you when I've gotten all I can."

He stood and so did I and slipped the ring in my pocket. He walked to the door and opened it and stopped me before I could go though.

"Since your going back you need to listen carefully on what to do. First ignore all those who asks for help, they simply will keep you trapped here forever. Second keep where you want to go in the forefront of your mind, one slip and you'll be lost. Once you reach the end of the path jump and you'll end back where you were although a few hours have passed in the real world. Best of luck Hiccup, we watch you closely."

He disappeared in a bust of black fire and I walked out of the house and down the street and always kept Astrid and Toothless in my mind. I could hear the voices of those who longed to return to the living but ignored them and kept walking. As I got further along it got harder for me to ignore them and they began to reach out for me but I just brushed them off and kept going. Eventually I reached the end of the path and looked over a cliff that lead into the white nothingness all around me.

The voices had ceased and I imagined Astrid's face and then took in a deep breath. I closed my eyes and built up my courage and jumped.

 **Nothing to say, just take it in. Enjoy and review. -starwarswiz**


	13. Chapter 13

The first thing that I noticed was that whatever I was laying on was freezing cold and he was utterly naked. I sat up slowly and the sheet that was covering me fell away and I held the ring that Nico had given me, reaffirming that everything that I saw was real. In the corner of the room was my clothes lying in a heap on a table, so I got up and grabbed that clothes noticing they were washed and sewn. Quickly dressing I left the room to discover I was in the dragon research facility, though why he was moved here after he died was a mystery.

He followed the sounds of talking to the cafeteria and found the whole gang, even his mother, all watching the television. Mandel was the only employee in the whole complex that I had seen so far and that made me wonder what had happened in the time that I was gone. I sat down near the back and stayed quiet while they watched and planned to make my move soon. The news was talking about the recent siege of Berk and how the whole system within the city had collapsed and was now run by Dagur and his gang.

That was most likely why he was here as they moved him out of the hospital when the city fell and the buildings employees went home or just left to get out of the city while they could. The government had shown up but nothing was being done was they held the hole city hostage and would bring down skyscrapers if they had to. So it was an uneasy standoff but I ripped my gaze from the television and looked at those assembled before me. My mother and Dr. Mandel where there of course, but there was also Astrid, Fishlegs, the twins, Snotlout, Toothless in his human form, and Jack in his human form all engrossed by the television. The ending tune started playing and I thought that this would be the perfect moment to pull a really good joke on everyone.

"Well that certainly was depressing." I said loudly.

They all jumped and looked back at me with utter and complete shock on their faces and I stood up and walked over. I watched them for a moment before smiling and taking a seat.

"Hiccup? How?" Astrid stuttered.

"Well isn't that a story. Well to put your initial suspicions, yes I did die and yes I have come back. Now the reason why I'm here is this."

I set the silver ring on the tale and they all started at it expecting something fantastical to happen but nothing did.

"What is that suppose to be?" Snotlout asked.

"That is Death's ring."

"You mean like the hooded figure who carries a scythe and freaks people out?" Fishlegs shivered.

"Well he doesn't wear a hood and doesn't have a scythe. He carries a black sword and looks like a fourteen year old kid. He calls himself Nico and is the reason as to why I am standing before you."

"What did he say?"

"Not a whole lot, the main reason why he brought me there was so I could patch things up with dad before he moved on."

"So Stoick is gone?" my mother asked.

"Yeah, he told me to tell you he loves you and will be waiting for the both of us. I'm just glad he gave me that time with him, which is heavily against the rules."

"So why do you have his ring?" Astrid grilled.

"Well it's an anchor for him to materialize if he wants. Even though he's death he doesn't hate life and actually often spends time in our world before he has to go back to work."

"Weird."

"Yeah it was but getting back wasn't easy. I had to walk though a field of ghosts that had yet to make peace and all of them called to help them. At times it was very tempting."

"So how did you get back?" Astrid asked.

"You did. I imagined getting back to you the whole time and before long I woke up on that bench you had put me on."

"I'm still under shock."

"Yeah I suspect everyone is but we need to put that behind us for the moment because Dagur is still out there. There is only one way he could take down the whole of Berk, he has dragons."

"Probably but were heavily outnumbered here. I don't know what you expect us to do."

"I have an idea, go tell the others to gear up and meet outside in front of the building."

"What are you planning?"

"I'm going to send Dagur and invitation."

"Are you crazy?"

"Yes, but he won't let that challenge go unchallenged and it is the best chance we have of stopping him before his hold on the city is permanent."

"Ok, I hope you know what you're doing."

"Me too."

—

I walked out the doors with Toothless on my heels and he was in his full riding gear ready for war. The others stood together waiting and I could tell they were extremely nervous to be facing Dagur head on. The gang of Astrid, the twins, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Jack, and my mother all stood before me. The world was cloaked in a blanket of snow and clouds and off in the distance I could see the army Dagur had assembled for the final showdown.

I was glad that this part of the plan had worked out and it appeared that he hadn't brought any dragons with him but he was still dangerous. Dagur had no remorse and was most likely holding his dragons in reserve in hopes that he could catch us off guard. Dagur had a sway to his walk and a smirk on his face as if he had already won but the fight hadn't even happened yet. If my plan went well I could goad Dagur into attacking and then we could take him on in a much more even stance.

His gang stopped a few yards away and Dagur just smiled for a few minutes and I kept my face stoic and I wouldn't let him get to me. He took out a small knife and began to fiddle with his hands until a small laugh came out and he pointed the knife at us and then he put it away.

"I knew you would come knocking eventually." he said.

"After last time, you can't really blame me for the wait."

"That was exciting last time but this time I'll make sure you die, and your little friend Jack was genius. I never knew where he came from and now I guess I get it, an inside agent is probably the best plan. That's what I did so I guess someone was bound to copy my genius."

"I call it insanity. Why did you do all of this?"

"Hiccup, Hiccup, Hiccup. I thought we were starting to understand each other. Why I did this? Mostly it was for the entertainment, and a little for the power. All the fun I had was just great but I had the most amount of fun with you and I don't want that to end."

"It will end right here, right now."

"Well I guess we'll just have a party to see."

Everyone burst into action and Jack hit the ground throwing up a huge barrier of ice spikes pointed out at Dagur. Him and his thugs took a step back when they saw this but soon recovered from their shock and soon took for cover. Dagur himself didn't have a gun because he didn't believe in killing so quickly. Most of his gang did though have small fire arms and quickly went about firing and slowly chipping away at our cover.

Jack ran over and looked for a plan and I peeked over and saw Dagur standing proudly in the center laughing and that riled me up. I motioned and everyone began moving around and firing trying to draw some of the attention away.

"Jack do you think you can transform?" I asked.

"No these skyscrapers won't let me. But have Toothless fire into my hands."

I motioned and he did and Jack caught the blast and was shoved back initially and then the purple blast slowly turned blue. Jack turned and tossed the ball over the barrier and when it hit the ground a huge explosion rocked the ground as huge ice spikes shot in every direction. A few of the men died in the blast and it paused all the fighting for a moment before the got over their shock and started firing again. Dagur smiled and stared right at me daring me to fight him and despite everyone trying to keep me here I was going to face him.

I nodded to Jack and mounted Toothless before taking to the air and flying over the Dagur. He started to run and we gave him a good chase, weaving a few blocks before he stopped just in front of an old warehouse that was set for demolition. We landed and I quickly dismounted and Toothless followed me closely with a defensive stance growling all the while.

"So you decided to join the party, my dear Hiccup. I heard you came back from the dead, so I thought that a gift would be a good thing. What do you say?" Dagur sneered.

"Any gift from you is not worth me time."

"Oh but I think you'll like this one."

He opened the door and moved out of the way and there was a deep growl from inside. I took a few steps backwards and low and behold his surprise came into the light and it was something I had hoped to never see, a Skrill. I quickly jumped on Toothless and we launched into the sky with the Skrill hot on our tail and Dagur laughing in the background. However he got this thing to hatch it sure was not happy and was quickly taking in power from the buildings and sky and firing at us.

We evaded every shot and saw as rooms and windows were destroyed by the stray shots. The fighting still raged on the ground and it echoed throughout the city. I turned to see the Skrill a few yards behind us and I thought of a plan to get it on the ground where the odds were more even than up in the sky. We dropped and shot away a few men and hoped the Skrill would take the bait and it did. With my friends at my back and the Skrill in front of me it was one on one, about as even as it was going to get.

The mouth of the Skrill began to glow as he built up a ship and I heard Toothless growl in turn. Power could be felt in the air as the Skrill charged and soon fired. Time slowed down to almost nothing Toothless fired back and his shot flashed the air around him.

"HICCUP MOVE!" someone yelled.

The two shots collided in midair and a huge repulse happened. A shockwave flew out as the two shots collided and cancelled each other. Glass shattered, walls crumbled, people went flying, and my hearing went out. The next thing I realized was I was on the ground with a loud ringing in my ears. I looked around to see my friends being cuffed and the dragons being subdued. The Skrill stood over me with a look of pure hate and Dagur was boasting in the background, what he was saying was a mystery to me.

Something Toothless had said a long time ago came back to me and I looked back down at my arm. I thought of what I wanted and closed my eyes concentrating and hoping that it would work. I opened my eyes and I looked down at my arm and the mark that had appeared when I first discovered Toothless was glowing. I slowly raised my arm all the while that the possibility of the Skrill eating my arm was possible.

It didn't move and I managed to place my hand on the Skrill's snout and I could feel the connection between the two of us. He conveyed his fear and anger towards Dagur and what he was forced to do but I set him free of his oath. I smiled and the Skrill let me up and held me up as I discovered my prosthetic was gone. Dagur turned and his smile fell and a look of fear spread across his face.

"Dumb dragon was suppose to eat you!" he yelled.

"Dragons are more complicated than you think and I freed him from your grasp. He's free, and now you are the one who will pay."

His men charged but the Skrill fried them quickly, the lightning ricocheted and set the other dragons free and Toothless came bounding over. He nodded to the Skrill and with Dagur out of support and his men running he was dead. Jack sealed him in ice and both Toothless and the Skrill charged their blasts and then fired. After the smoke cleared all that was left of Dagur was the ice cage Jack had created.

—

The aftermath was quite an affair for many to watch, not only did they have to clean up the carnage of the city but crime became nonexistent. Without he big gang and Dagur holding it together, the police slowly picked it apart until it finally collapsed. The army was soon under investigation and the general Drago Bludfist was relieved of duty after connections to Dagur were found.

We returned to school and finished high school with relative ease, but life was far from over. Many in the dragon community wanted to keep things as they were but I had to voice my opinion. Once I did it became a political movement and before long all dragon labs had been shut down and most had been set free. I chose not to go to college and simply moved out of Berk and into the country side. The gang soon followed while Astrid studied veterinarian sciences at the local university.

I built our home myself, or rather Toothless and the Skrill helped. The Skrill never left my side as it seemed to think it owed me a life debt for freeing it. Jack set up his nest on my property and before long it became the largest dragon sanctuary in the world. When we graduated high school my mother stayed in Berk to keep the peace while Astrid came with me. In her third year in college I proposed and she whole heartedly said yes. I had hoped to keep in on the down low but we had become world famous after the fighting.

The wedding itself was a small affair and turned into one of the happiest days of my life. I visited my father's grave that day to tell him and have him relish in the happiness. Three years passed and we had our first child, a girl named Emma. She was the cutest thing and loved the dragons that would always play with her. Another two years passed and we had a beautiful baby boy, and we named him Jack which the original Jack loved.

When my thirties rolled around the started to dismantle the dragon facility and I visited to take any left over eggs that the forgot. When looking through the basement rooms I found a very old room that seemed to be untouched. I asked Dr. Mandel what it was and he said this room had been there for twenty years before he even arrived. The door took some work but eventually it came down and I found a room full of dragon eggs. Quickly taking possession of them, which no one fought, I took them back to the sanctuary and let Toothless take care of them.

I had outfitted him with an automatic tail so he could go enjoy himself while I handled the children. Two months later he came to me with four baby Night Furies and said three more were quickly hatching. These eggs were lost Night Furies, and now he and his species had a future. In fact with two kids and almost a dozen Night Furies, the future was sure to be interesting.

 **So I decided after much work to bring this story to a close. I hope I ended it on a happy note but this isn't the end of my work on this site. I thank you all who read this story and kept me working on it. It certainly had its flaws and in the future my stories will improve. I have currently two other works in progress, Seasons, which is a HTTYD and ROTG crossover and Fall From Grace, which is a Percy Jackson story. If your ever feel up to it pop ove and give them a read and let me know what you think. Seasons is only a few chapters in and Fall From Grace is something I** **just** **started. ENJOY and now you don't have to review. -starwarswiz**


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